Of Myths and Monsters
by storybooksandfairytails
Summary: Life is hard when you're a succubus that's literally dying of starvation because you're too afraid to put the moves on your half-dragon best friend. Tossing in a descendant of Jack Frost, an overemotional siren, and several other mythological creatures only makes life ever more difficult. Paranormal AU. NaLu, Gruvia, and more.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

 **I present to you my first ever Fairytail fic. This is going to be a series, and I'm planning on writing around 20 chapters. So if you like this chapter, hit that follow button and stay tuned in.**

 **Disclaimer: None of these fictional characters or places belong to me. I'm simply borrowing them. :)**

* * *

 _August_

It was the only place in town that Lucy could get information on... people like her. On the surface, the shop was one of those hokey places to get your fortune told. It was dark and mysterious, an atmosphere that almost made you believe in crystal balls and palm readings. She sat, impatient, at the velvet covered table as the "prophet" moved to sit down. She was an older woman with skin like leather, and the superfluous embellishments that adorned her outfit jingled with her every movement. She sat across from Lucy and gave her a stern look.

"You want fortune," The woman said in a thick accent. "I give you fortune. You are pretty girl. Money must be no issue. Maybe advice about men? Or advice about-"

"I need a different kind of advice. The kind I can only get here, if you catch my drift," Lucy interrupted, giving the fortune teller a meaningful look.

"I have no clue what you talk about. I suggest you take fortune or leave."

A tense moment passed, and Lucy refused to say anything more. The gypsy glared at her before brusquely rising from the table. Panic started to flood Lucy's system, and she flailed to find something to say. In desperation, she cried out to the woman's back.

"Wait! Please, I- I need help. I have no idea what's happening to me, but I heard that I can get some answers here. There was some kind of code I was supposed to remember? 'Bring to light those who dwell in the dark'? Or was it 'in the shadows'? Oh, God. I can't get anything right. At this rate, I'm-"

"Jesus Christ, do you ever shut up? I'll help you," the woman snapped, accent miraculously gone. Lucy gave a confused whimper as the woman brushed past the silk curtains, leaving her alone in the dark room. The clock ticked to count the seconds that passed as Lucy sat in the rickety chair, watching the white condensation spill out of the fog machine and wrap around her legs. Suddenly, the lights flicked on. The curtain was yanked back to reveal an old man.

"Sorry about my wife, sweetie. She's got a bit of a temper. You're supposed to say the code first thing, y'know?"

"My apologies," Lucy said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. "I'm a mess lately. Since, well…"

"Let's get to the root of this, shall we? Why do you feel that you have a supernatural affliction?"

"It started three weeks ago," Lucy began. "I was walking home…"

I _t was a nice night. The kind with fresh air and a breeze that rustled the trees and made wind chimes sing. Lucy had been walking home from the celebration her friends had thrown for her seventeenth birthday. She just had to make it down the driveway and-_

 _Lucy fell to the ground with a gasp, clutching her shirt. Her heart was beating so hard, and her lungs didn't want to fill up with air. Was she having a heart attack? Was she dying? She was too young to die! This couldn't be the end. She just-_

 _A zing of electricity zipped down her spine all the way to the balls of her feet. She clawed at the gravel, trying to find purchase as her back arched off the ground. She groaned, tangling her fingers in her own hair just so she had something to hold onto. Her toes curled before all the strength left her body. She panted, wondering what had just happened- and why she was suddenly so hungry. An ache like never before tore at her gut even though she had eaten less than an hour ago. Lucy picked herself back up, writing what just happened off as a freak asthma attack. She'd grown out of her asthma when she was seven, but it was the only excuse she could muster._

 _After entering the house, she promptly made her way to the kitchen and scarfed down all the food she could get her hands on. But the hunger did not cease, and Lucy began to feel sick. She spent the rest of the night hunched over a toilet, regretting having ever eaten anything in her life. She passed her food sickness off as the result of bad Indian food, but deep down she knew that it was something bigger. Two days later, her fears were confirmed._

 _Lucy had been dreading the town fair for weeks. She had been chosen as one of the girls to man the kissing booth by popular vote. Lucy, a rather inexperienced kisser, was sure to ruin the whole thing with her lack of know-how. But that first kiss had left her customer literally breathless, and word soon became that Lucy Heartfilia was the best kisser in the history of ever. This resulted in a line a mile long of boys that would pay good money to kiss her. Normally, this would fill Lucy with panic and chagrin. She didn't want to kiss a dozen guys in the span of the half-hour she was assigned kissing booth duty. But strangely enough, she was thrilled by the prospect._

 _Kissing these boys brought her an intense rush that was unparalleled to anything she'd ever felt before. It was only after kissing these boys that she wasn't aching with the hunger pangs that'd been distracting her these past two days. But it soon became apparent that something was very, very wrong._

 _There was a little shit that had made his way back to Lucy's booth several times. He was cute enough, but never satisfied with the lingering peck that Lucy gave her customers. On his fifth visit, she decided to give him one good kiss. A deep one that would hopefully keep this fucker satisfied for a while. She leaned in, cupping his jaw as she brushed her lips against his. It was when she opened her mouth that everything went to shit._

 _He gasped, gripping the table as her tongue caressed his. His eyelids fluttered as he moved to kiss her back with equal passion. But after a few more seconds passed, he fainted. Like, literally passed out. Stone cold. While everyone flocked around him, Lucy stared in shock. Her fingers reached up to trace her lips, feeling the buzz of energy that electrified the sensitive skin. Most girls would not pick up on the magnitude of what had just happened, but Lucy Heartfilia was not most girls. She had felt the change, had known that something life-altering had just occurred._

"I tried to tell my dad, but he just flipped out. Said something about accepting one of the marriage offers sent my way in order for me to 'settle down'. So I ran away. I think- I _know_ that he passed out because of me. I felt it. I took something from him. Some kind of energy. After that kiss, I felt the best I'd felt in days. I had this bounce in my step that stuck around for a while. It wasn't until a couple days later that the hunger came back. No matter what food I eat, it won't go away. And most of the time I puke my meals back up anyways, so I just stopped trying," Lucy looked up at the old man with glassy eyes, lip quivering.

"I don't know what to do. My sense of smell has been all over the place. I swear, I can smell someone peeling an orange from a dozen yards away. I'm hungry all the time, and I'm afraid I'll hurt someone by accident. I've been on my own for a month, and I can't tell anyone what's going on with me without them thinking I'm a nutcase. I just, I have to know what I am," she pleaded. "Because I don't think it's human, not anymore. I'm something else now; I can feel it in my gut."

The old man gave a Lucy a hard look before patting her hand in a reassuring manner and smiling at her. She sighed in relief at the gesture, realizing that it was the first time she'd really touched someone several days. He nodded before shuffling to a bookcase and plucking one off the shelf. He brought the old book back to her, setting it in front of her with great importance- and great precaution.

 _Daughters of Lilith_ , the cover read. The text was rubbed off in some places, and Lucy noted the way the pages crinkled as she opened the book and the creak of protest its spine gave. The text was obviously old, translated from Latin into a formal English that was seldom spoken anymore. Lucy had always loved literature and antiques, and this book had both elements wrapped up into what was supposed to be the answer to all of her problems. It was almost too good to be true.

"All of the answers to your questions should be here. I would explain it to you myself, but you'd probably be better off just reading it straight from the source."

"Can I, um, have it? The book, I mean."

"Sure," He said. "For a price." Lucy sighed. She should've known that the truth would come at a cost.

"How much?"

"20,000 jewels."

"How much?"

"20,000 jewels," The old man reiterated.

"I wonder how much it really is," Lucy murmured, crossing her arms to emphasize her prominent chest and fluttering her pretty eyelashes. "Mister…"

"Only 1,000 jewels?! That's not even a good discount! Is that all my sex appeal is worth," She screamed, kicking over a sign. She sighed, trying to calm down. Her bag was now heavy on her shoulder due to the weight of the aged text. She fisted her hand in determination. As soon as she returned to the hotel room, she'd read that book and-

A crowd of women rushed past her, screaming about some lizard guy. Salamander? Was that what they were saying? After a moment of thought, Lucy realized who they were talking about. It was some guy that painted these contemporary pieces that were really rocking the art world. They all had a theme relating to fire, and the artist had never shown his face- until now. Salamander. Lucy had to see him for herself. She soon found herself shoving to the front of the crowd, desperate for a glimpse of the talented painter.

When she set her eyes on him, her chest started aching in a way she'd never felt before. He was _beautiful_. All she could think about was his talented fingers as he brushed them over his canvas prints. Lucy flushed. _Why is my heart beating so fast? What's happening to me? Why am I-_ The Salamander turned and gave her a devilish grin, and Lucy's heart just about stopped. _Is it because he's famous? I'm… Maybe…_

A tuft of vibrant blue hair caught Lucy's eye, distracting her from the enchanting hunk of man that all of her attention had been poured into. There was a blue cat. How…? Lucy wasn't even going to question it. Because what was even more distracting was the cat's owner. He was just around her age, with wide eyes and spiked, salmon hair. He had this sort of infectious smile that made the corners of Lucy's mouth twitch. She soon took notice of the scaled, white scarf around his neck that billowed with the passing wind. _A scarf in August?_

"Who are you," He asked The Salamander, confusion painted on his face.

"You might know me as 'The Salamander'," The man said, striking a pose that made the manic crowd of women go nuts.

With a derisive roll of his eyes, the pink-haired boy made his way out of the crowd and headed down the road. The cat followed, rubbing against his leg as they went. While Salamander sputtered at the blatant disrespect, Lucy's eyes narrowed. The artist was somehow far less charming after the interruption. His once sparkling aura was now dark and suspicious. Only now did she catch his scent, which was akin to ill intent and cheap cologne- and not even a hint of paint or turpentine. Lucy felt nothing when she looked at him. Nothing but contempt, that is.

The whole outing had been a bust. Natsu and Happy had come all this way, endured his motion sickness, for what? Some doofus and his phony paintings? Natsu looked down at the oil paint smudged on his fingers and clenched his fist in anger. He would've knocked that idiot senseless for passing Natsu's stuff off as his own, but he was really trying to stay under the radar.

"Stupid asshole with his knockoff prints. He probably hasn't painted a day in his life…"

"Hey! Hey, wait! Hold up you guys," a feminine voice called out behind them. They turned to see a girl with long, blonde hair and the biggest brown eyes Natsu had ever seen in his life. She was stunning, but the way she held her shoulders and the arch of her smile told him that she probably knew that already.

"God, that guy was disgusting. I can't believe him," She bit out with with disdain. She stopped in front of them with a grateful look in her eyes and the prettiest smile. She reached to put a hand on his shoulder, hoping her gratitude could physically sink into his skin so he would know what a huge favor he'd done for her.

"You guys really saved me back there. I'd be royally screwed without you."

And that was how the three of them had ended up sitting together at a local diner. Lucy had never seen anyone eat so damn much. There was plate after plate of food, half of which ended up splattered on her face from across the table. She was faintly jealous of them, envying their ability to get sustenance from their food without getting sick.

"There was something off about that guy," Lucy explained. "I think he was manipulating people. I don't exactly know how, but I'm positive that he was influencing us. When you guys came along, it snapped me out of it. So, thanks.

"I just feel like something strange is going on here. I've never been the kind of girl to believe in magic or anything, but weird things have been happening lately. I probably sound like a whack job, right? I should probably shut up. You guys must think I'm one of those lunatics that believe in witches or some crap."

"She talks a lot," The cat murmured. Lucy blinked. Was she really going crazy? Cats did not talk. Nope. No way. She definitely needed to go home and rest. Like, now.

"Well, I've gotta head out. You guys can stay. This should cover the tab," She said, laying down some jewels to cover the meal. _There goes my discount_.

Natsu grabbed her hand before she could leave, staring up at her with tearful eyes. She pulled back, confused. But not before she caught a whiff of his clothes. The smell was unmistakable. The scent of ash and smoke that, oddly enough, also reminded her of brimstone and medieval torches.

"Thank you so much," Natsu started.

"Smoking is really bad for you," Lucy interrupted. Natsu gave her a confused look.

"I did a powerpoint on it in health class," she explained. "Ever heard of lung cancer? Heightened cholesterol? COPD? You know, consistently smoking tobacco can constrict your blood vessels and give you heart disease. Not to mention more aesthetic side effects like stained teeth and wrinkled skin. It would be a shame if a cute guy like you got all haggard and gross over something as inconsequential as cigarettes."

"But I don't-"

"Here," she said, handing him a pack of gum. "Chew a piece of gum whenever you feel like taking a drag. I heard it's a good way to quit. See you guys around."

And with that, she left. Natsu stood behind, confused. Smoking? Why does she think he's a smoker? He's never smoked in his life. Well, that's a lie. He and ice bastard had tried weed about a year ago. But Erza had kicked their asses hard enough to see stars, so they hadn't done it again. The point is, he didn't smoke. Especially not cigarettes.

"Natsu," Happy whispered. "Did she just call you cute?"

Lucy was almost at her hotel when she tripped over a curb and went flying. A helpful hand reached out to grab her arm, keeping her from busting her face of the cement. She looked up at her would-be savior with a smile.

"Why, thank- _Oh_. It's you," She said, voice flat and eyes untrusting. _The Salamander._ She reached down to pick up the book that tumbled out of her bag, but he snatched it up first.

"Daughters of Lilith," He murmured, observing the cover. She quickly snatched it from him, dusting the book off.

"I have to go." She turned to leave, but he caught her attention once again.

"You probably want to meet other people like you. Like us," Salamander said with meaningful eyes. Lucy looked up at him in awe. "Come to my party tonight. You can get some answers there."

Lucy soon enough found herself stuffed into her nicest (and tightest) dress and on her way to Salamander's party. It was on a yacht, of course. A fucking yacht. The decor was extravagant, with lights that twinkled like stars and the whitest tablecloths she'd ever seen. Salamander greeted her the second she'd gotten on and ushered her to a private room in the back. She found herself skeptical as she passed the other guests- all women and none seeming to have any paranormal qualities whatsoever. It was only when he'd practically force fed her wine that she'd had enough.

"What the hell do you think you're doing," she spat, slapping the glass out of his hand. "That smelled drugged. Look I came here voluntarily, but I did not sign up to be your little girlfriend; I _especially_ did not sign up to get roofied for whatever sick plans you have. You either tell me where I can find others like me, or I leave. Right now."

"Lucy, Lucy, Lucy. Calm down. It's hard for us to find one of our kind. This is something you probably already know."

He looked at her, expecting to find understanding and resignation but only finding confusion and obstinance. He laughed at her expression, which only grew more confused with each bout of chuckling. She crossed her arms and huffed.

"You really don't know what you are. What we are. Do you? Did you even read that book that you've been carrying around," He asked condescendingly. Lucy nearly growled at him.

"Get to the damned point."

"I'll just be frank, then. You're a succubus, little Lucy."

She frowned. A succubus? She'd been expecting something more well-known, like a witch. Or a sorceress. Or even a vampire. A succubus? What even was that? Some kind of demon… It fed off of men. But it didn't eat them, right? Right?! She _so_ could not condone cannibalism. A succubus was... _Wait_. When realization hit, Lucy gasped. Salamander smirked at her horrified expression.

"Ding ding ding. You finally got it. You're a demon that seduces men and feeds off of _sex_."

"But," Lucy gaped. "But I can't even flirt my way to a decent discount! I've never had a boyfriend before, and-" Her voice dropped to the meekest of whispers. "I'm a _virgin_."

"Don't worry. We can," He gave her a sinister smile. " _Fix_ that."

Lucy was grabbed from behind and roughly thrown to the floor. A group of men were on her, trying to handcuff her flailing limbs. She kicked and screamed, refusing to let herself be chained up.

"Stop! Let go of me!"

"She's a feisty one," Salamander laughed. "I'm sure she'll make a great addition to my harem."

"Harem? Like hell," She spat. He grabbed her chin, turning her face to see every angle- each of which was beautiful.

"Yes, you'll do. You see, little Lucy, it can be hard for an Incubus like me to find a _willing_ meal. As charming as we are, we must change partners frequently in order to keep them alive. Otherwise we'll accidentally drain all of their life force. So this slave ship that we're running is actually quite a humane way to feed."

"You're despicable! How could you- All these girls! Is this," Her voice weakened. "Is this what all supernatural people are like?"

Salamander never got to answer his question. A crash sounded through the ship, and the whole world went sideways. The men tumbled to the corner of the room while Lucy gripped one of the room's columns. Screams sounded through the ship as the passengers started evacuating.

Suddenly, Natsu smashed through the ceiling. Fists clenched and eyes filled with rage, he was a sight to behold. He looked so cool, like the hero come to save the day. That was until the ship tilted, and he promptly ran to the trash can to barf.

"Natsu! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," He groaned. "I just have motion sickness."

"That's so lame," Lucy moaned, putting her head in her hands. "And here you almost looked hot."

"She liiiiikes you," Happy sang as he flew into the room. Note the word 'flew.' The blue cat that, no matter how much Lucy tried to deny it, spoke also had feathered wings. Because a talking, cyan cat with wings is completely normal. Then again, Lucy would've scoffed at the idea of a succubus being real a couple weeks ago.

Happy swooped down and grabbed the back of Lucy's dress, lifting her in the air.

"Let's get you out of here, Lucy!"

"But what about Natsu," she yelled as Happy carried her off the ship.

"He'll be fine! Besides, I can only carry one person at a time."

Lucy quirked an eyebrow. While her saviors were much appreciated, they were also very eccentric. A motion sick badass and his flying kitty sidekick. Out of everyone Lucy had ever met, they certainly ranked in the Top 5 Most Unforgettable.

Happy set her down at the edge of the port just in time for her to see the ship explode. Like, literally combust into flames as pieces of the extravagant boat went flying. Thankfully, all the girls had already evacuated the ship. But the yacht was toast. Lucy gaped at the destruction with wide eyes, falling to her knees. _Natsu_. There was no way that he was alive. Not after... Not after-

A gasp caught her attention, and Lucy looked down to see Natsu bursting out of the water. His endearing mop of pink hair flopped into his eyes as he looked up at her through his lashes. He proceeded to give her that disarming grin of his, and she just about melted. She couldn't tear her eyes from the droplets of water that ran over his tanned skin or the flex of his biceps as he lifted himself out of the water. _Why is my heart beating so fast?_

"I'm glad you're okay," he said, voice rumbling. Lucy shivered and took his hand to let him help her up.

"That explosion... Was that you?"

"Yeah," he nodded, grimacing. _So much for staying under the radar_. "You won't have to worry about them creating a harem of sex slaves anymore."

"You heard that? How much," her voice dropped low. "How much did you hear?"

"When I approaching the ship you were saying something about being a virgin? That's the earliest thing I heard. You were whispering though, so I almost couldn't hear you."

"I- I'm not," Lucy stammered. How was he able to hear her whisper from outside the crowded ship?! That's insane!

"It's fine. I already knew by the way you smell," he said casually.

"You _what_?"

"Look, I don't really have time to explain. You seem kinda new the the whole not-quite-human thing, and a full answer might take a while. But if you come with me, I'll tell you whatever you wanna know. So, are you coming," he asked, sticking a hand out.

In that moment, Lucy knew that this would be one of those life-altering decisions that she would look back on as the instant everything changed. So, she probably should've given it considerable thought. But the second he asked the question, she already knew the answer. She gave him her hand without any hesitation. He immediately started sprinting.

"Crap! We've gotta run! The Feds are coming," he called over his shoulder.

 _What have I gotten myself dragged into?_ Lucy might've just made the biggest mistake of her life. But Natsu's carefree grin set her at ease and made her feel normal for the first time in weeks. She started to wonder if Natsu had his own special kind of magic. Because she was absolutely charmed.


	2. The Universe Would Implode or Something

**Hey guys! I want to thank all of the lovely reviewers that have left comments for me so far. You guys rock my world. A few of you were worried that I was going to parody the original storyline for the duration of the story. I just want to assure you that this couldn't be any _further_ from the truth. UwU. I love how Natsu and Lucy met, so I did make the first chapter of the fic follow the first chapter of the manga. But from this chapter on, the story is all mine. The characters, however, are not. One day, Mashima. One day. Anyways, enjoy!**

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There they were, running as fast as they could to catch the bus to Magnolia. The police were hot on their heels, and a single slip up could land them in jail for some serious property damage. Lucy was torn between wanting to laugh in excitement at the face of danger and wanting to thrash Natsu for doing something as ostentatious as blowing up a yacht. She decided to go with the latter.

"Was there any way you could've handled them with a little more subtlety," She hissed. Natsu pulled her to a stop after they rounded the corner into an alleyway. He turned to her with a finger on his lips, telling her to quiet. They hunched down behind a dumpster, faces lit up with the red and blue lights as the police cars passed them. While Natsu listened for the passing of footsteps, Lucy took a moment to observe his face. His unique, incredibly attractive face.

Natsu had a jawline that was strong and squared and sharp enough to cut glass. His skin was tanned and healthy, dotted with freckles that were the most pronounced across the bridge of his nose. His eyes were some sort of unplaceable color. Either green or grey, but with flecks of gold? In the dark of the alleyway, they could've been black. They were rimmed with these enviable eyelashes, and something about them was slightly… _predatory_. In a good way. They were the kind of dangerous that made Lucy's toes curl and her breath quicken. But the most distracting of his features was his mouth. Pink and slightly chapped, but so utterly kissable. She could just lean in and…

Bad Lucy! She tore her gaze from his delectable lips, physically trying to shake herself out of the daze Natsu put her in. She found herself looking down at his chest instead. Anything to make herself stop thinking about his mouth. But the way his still-soaked tshirt clung to his insanely perfect torso only had her heart beating faster. Looking at Natsu was not safe, not at all. Fixing her eyes on the cat in her arms was much less risky. It was only when Natsu released the breath he'd apparently been holding that her heart had managed to slow down to some semblance of normal.

"They're gone for now," He breathed. "We can keep moving. The bus for Magnolia leaves in twenty minutes. The next one isn't until tomorrow morning, so we've gotta make it."

"Why does it sound like you've done this before," she asked, wary.

"Because I have," He answered bluntly. "Now are you coming or not?"

"Okay, okay."

They ran down the alley and made their way to the bus station, Happy humming as he nestled into Lucy's chest.

"You're kinda lumpy, but you're soft. Reeeeeeally soft."

"Shut it, cat," she muttered, face hot. "How can you even talk?"

"I'm magical. Duh," He said, as if that were the most obvious thing ever.

"Duh? Until a couple weeks ago, I didn't even think magic was real! How has it stayed a secret for so long? I didn't even think creatures like you existed. How-"

"Jeez, you talk a lot. You must be part pixie or something."

"Why you-"

"Shhhhh," Natsu hissed. He caged Lucy in against the wall as the slap of feet against the pavement became louder. Lucy probably should've been concerned about the nearing police officers, but all she could think about was the way he smelled. Like smoke, yeah, but not unpleasant. Instead of the typical stench of cigarettes, he smelled like a bonfire. Like burnt pine and ashen maple leaves. It was nice. Really, really nice. Maybe he shouldn't give up smoking.

Natsu moved to pull away but stopped when Lucy moved her head the slightest fraction of an inch, exposing her pulse point. The curtain of hair previously covering her neck no longer masked her scent, and it washed over him like a tidal wave. The beast inside him purred.

"You smell really good," He whispered, hot breath hitting her ear. Her knees trembled. The hunger in her gut was now clawing at her with a vengeance, and something was telling her that Natsu was the only one who could satiate it. She knew that she shouldn't be feeling like this. That it was just the succubus inside her that wanted him. But the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife, and Lucy couldn't move.

"You guys are squishing me," Happy squeaked. Natsu jumped back, and the spell was broken. He rubbed his neck awkwardly before grabbing Lucy's hand to pull her along. She couldn't help but to find the crimson that dusted the tips of his ears incredibly endearing.

Natsu pulled her along for a couple blocks before they arrived at a fence that stood ten feet tall. Natsu climbed over with ease, giving Lucy an expectant look from the other side. Lucy scowled before hitching a leg up and making her way up the chain link fence- in heels, no less. Lucy grumbled about how her boots were not designed for this, and Natsu pointed out that her boots weren't designed for anything other than being uncomfortable. She huffed as she dropped down to the other side, hating that she agreed.

When they finally made it to the bus station, they were disheartened to see police officers standing guard. Lucy started to panic. They were so going to get caught. She pulled him back around the corner to keep them hidden from sight before proceeding to flip shit.

"Natsu! What are we going to do? They'll definitely recognize us," she hissed. His face became stoic.

"Don't worry, Luigi. I've got a plan."

"It's Lucy, you- What are you doing," she deadpanned.

"It's my disguise," he said, his eyes implying an 'obviously.' Note that it was just his eyes, as the rest of his face was now covered up by the scarf wrapped around his head.

"I see that. My question is exactly what kind of disguise a scarf tied around your head is."

"Well, I'm a ninja. Nin-nin."

"This is so stupid. You're gonna get arrested for arson and they'll probably arrest me for being an accomplice. I can't go to jail, Natsu. I'd get shanked the first day," she whined.

"What are you even talking about? Put on some sunglasses, and stop freaking out. Now come on," he groaned, tugging on her hand.

Lucy slipped on her aviators before cramming a disgruntled Happy in her purse. She clenched Natsu's hand with bruising force, trying not to give off any visible signs of her internal turmoil. Her legs felt wobbly as they approached the entrance and the guards that stood in front of it. As they grew nearer, a guard put out a hand and signaled for them to stop.

"Sir, I'm going to need you to take those… bandages? Is that what they are," He looked to the other guard, unsure. "Whatever they are, I'm going to need you to take them off."

"I can't do that," Natsu replied bluntly.

"You what? Listen, sir, I don't think you understand how serious-"

"No, you don't understand. These aren't bandages. I'm wearing a ninja mask. You see, I'm a ninja. And if you take of my mask, you'll see my face. And everyone knows a ninja's face can't be seen because the universe would, like, implode or something. So, no. I'm not taking it off."

Lucy looked at Natsu in wide-eyed horror. _This_ was his grand plan? Natsu was going to convince a grown man that he was a ninja? And that the fate of the universe relied on his identity not being exposed? Lucy started hyperventilating, her body steeling itself to launch into hysterics at any moment. She tried to tug on Natsu's hand and give him a meaningful look, but his full attention was fixed on the guard.

Natsu locked gazes with the officer for several moments, his eyes growing intense. It looked like an unspoken battle to see whose will was stronger. The guard gradually became less confident in his opposition. And, even though Lucy could only see his eyes, Natsu looked almost… smug. Soon enough, the guard broke eye contact. Natsu's presence after the guard's apparent defeat could only be described as dominating. Like a wild animal defending its territory. The entire exchange must've been less than thirty seconds, but Lucy couldn't have described it as anything other than unsettling.

"You may go," The police officer bit out, eyes averted. His partner gave him a look of disbelief, but it was promptly ignored. Lucy tried to give a thankful smile, but the guard refused to meet anyone's eyes.

Natsu and Lucy slipped inside, stopping to buy tickets before boarding the bus. After sitting down, Natsu unwrapped the scarf from his face and gave a sigh of relief while Lucy unzipped her bag to let Happy get some air. Natsu looked over at her with that megawatt grin of his, only to find her looking at him with apprehensive eyes. He returned the concerned look with one of his own.

"What? Do I have something on my face?"

"What happened back there," Lucy asked, voice low.

"I know the ninja stuff was a lie, but it's not _that_ far from the truth. My mad karate skills-"

"You know that's not what I'm talking about," Lucy interrupted. Natsu sighed.

"It was nothing, really. Just an intimidation thing. Don't worry about it. He'll be fine."

Lucy wanted to press further, but decided against it. She hadn't exactly known him long enough to expect him to spill guts at the drop of a hat. It was undeniable that Lucy wouldn't exactly appreciate it if he had similar expectations.

"Hey," Natsu nudged her. "Do you have a lighter?"

"No. Besides, you can't smoke on the bus. You'll have to wait until we get to Magnolia."

"Why do you keep accusing me of smoking? I need the lighter because I'm hungry."

"And what? You're gonna eat the lighter? Just fess up. You're a smoker."

"I'm not a smoker! Jeez," He muttered, crossing his arms.

"Then why do you smell like a campfire," Lucy pressed. Natsu froze.

"What? I smell like a campfire," Natsu asked, slightly confused. Lucy blushed, wondering if that was a strange thing to tell someone.

"Well, yeah. I don't know how to describe it, but you smell like charcoal. Like smoke and burnt matches. I can't quite describe it, but that's as close as I can get."

As Natsu's eyes filled with some sort of realization, Lucy was pulled into her own thoughts. It wasn't until she had said it out loud that she'd really noticed her inability to verbally express the way Natsu smells. This was actually quite alarming. Never in Lucy's life had she been rendered unable to describe something. She was an English nerd, the school's "walking thesaurus." She should by all means be able to properly articulate the way a teenage boy smells.

"I think I finally get what you're talking about," Natsu said, pulling her from her thoughts. She arched an eyebrow, waiting for his big explanation.

"Your sense of smell is really good, right?" Lucy nodded, her mind flashing back to the vivid scents that had been invading her nose these past few weeks.

"Well, you're probably just able to smell what I am- which is pretty impressive by the way. I've only met a few people that could figure me out so easily, so kudos."

"What you are," Lucy asked, eyebrows pulling together as her mouth twisted in a frown. "What in the hell does that mean? You're not some kind of whacko that thinks he's an alien or something, right?"

"You're pretty new to this supernatural stuff, aren't you? I'll admit, I didn't catch that you were an SH when we first met. But I was hungry, and there was a bunch of food to eat…"

"An SH? What's an SH?"

"A superhuman," Natsu deadpanned, looking at her as if she were rather slow. " _Please_ tell me that you know you're not all human. Because I don't want to be the one to give you 'the talk', if you know what I mean."

"I- I know. That I'm not, um… Yeah. So you're saying that you're the same as me?"

"Well, up to certain point. Just because we're both SH's doesn't mean we're the same type, or even the same class. It's like saying that we're both dogs, but not necessarily the same breed. You know what I mean?"

Lucy nodded, not particularly fond of being compared to a dog but finding it wasn't worth complaining about. Natsu seemed pretty satisfied with his explanation, but she only thirsted for more answers. What were classes and types? Where did he learn all of this? How many SH's were there? How many people like her were there? Lucy didn't want to annoy him with a game of twenty questions, so she shuffled through her many inquiries and chose the most pressing one.

"What kind of SH are you," she asked, trying not to sound demanding. He grinned.

"I'm Power class. Type: Dragon."

Lucy's eyes widened as she took in the new information. This reckless, hunky goofball was supposed to be a _dragon_? As in, guarding towers and breathing fire? Where were the wings and scales? The talons? The vicious teeth? The only dragon-like thing about him was the slight point to the tip of his canines. The rest of him looked human. Strangely-colored human hair, bronzed human skin, piercing human eyes… She'd thought that he had a wild edge to him, but had never expected him to be a beast in the skin of a very attractive teenage boy.

"You're a dragon? As in a _dragon,_ dragon? The kind that flies around and battles knights in shining armour kind of dragon?"

"I'm not a storybook dragon, so no lame clichés. I'm only part dragon, meaning I don't have talons or wings or anything like that."

"Part dragon," Lucy repeated skeptically. "How exactly does that work?"

"Well, when a dragon and a human get it on-"

" _Ew_ ," Lucy shrieked. "Are you serious?!" Natsu broke out in a full-bellied laugh.

"He's messing with you," Happy whispered from the bag, trying to remain inconspicuous. Lucy fixed a glare on Natsu, and he smirked.

"You're so gullible. Okay, so what really happened is a clan of warriors hunted the last dragon back in the eighth century. Somehow, against all odds, they actually managed to kill it. Afterwards, they cooked the dragon and ate its meat. Somehow the dragon's powers were transferred over to those who ate it and down through the generations. It's only the descendants of those warriors that have these powers. And I'm one of them."

"That's crazy," Lucy breathed. "So you have some kind of dragon superpower?" Natsu gave a bitter laugh and fixed her with a wistful glance.

"Superpower is a bit of a stretch. Most people actually think it's a curse. The clan's punishment for killing the last ever dragon."

"Are you," Lucy paused, not wanting to say something stupid. "Are you sure it was the last dragon?"

"No one's ever seen one since, so I doubt there was another. I've always wondered, though. If there's a dragon still out there."

He looked out the window, deep in thought. His face was much more serious than she'd seen it before, and he seemed to be in deep contemplation. Lucy wanted to say something, but had no idea what proper etiquette would dictate she say. _I'm sorry that you're cursed because of your ancestors?_ A crackle of the bus's speakers made itself known before she could offer any condolences.

"Attention all passengers. Boarding is now closed on Bus 77 to Magnolia. I repeat, boarding is now closed on Bus 77 to Magnolia. Please sit down and enjoy your trip." Shortly after the announcement, the bus jolted forward and began the route to their destination.

Lucy looked over at Natsu, expecting excitement that the bus was finally moving. Instead, he looked a little… green. Really green, actually. He looked nauseous bordering on violently ill. Lucy was worried that he might actually start throwing up.

"Natsu? Are you okay? You look sick," she said, concerned.

"I'm," he stopped to give a dry heave. "I'm just motion sick. That's all."

"Gosh. Um, I have some crackers in my purse," she looked down to see a sleeping Happy peeking out of the top of her bag. She really didn't want to wake him.

"It's fine. I just need to sleep," he groaned.

Lucy nodded, thoughtful, before clearing her hair off the left side of her neck and tilting her head to the right. She looked at Natsu expectantly, but he just stared back in confusion.

"Well," Lucy drawled. "Are you gonna sleep or what?"

"Wait, I-" If Natsu wasn't so green, she would've sworn he was blushing. "You want me to sleep on you?" Lucy rolled her eyes.

"I've slept on several buses these past few weeks, and it sucks. The windows rattle so much that there's no way to lean your head on them comfortably. So yes, I want you to sleep on my shoulder. But just because you're sick," She said, blush dusting her cheeks. Natsu attempted a grin before laying his head on her shoulder. He shifted around a few moments, restless.

"I can't sleep," he grumbled. Lucy sighed.

"Well, I had a couple more questions anyways. Maybe that'll get your mind of the bus driving?"

"Shoot."

"About your powers, erm, I mean curse. What exactly can you do?"

"I can run really fast. And I'm stronger than most people. But the cool one is fire."

"Fire? What about fire?"

"Anything to do with fire. I can make it, breathe it, even eat it- that's why I was asking if you had a lighter earlier. I'm even immune to it. It's impossible for me to get burned."

"Wow. So if you can make fire, then why don't you just eat your own?"

"Ew. That'd be like drinking your own sweat when you're thirsty instead of getting water."

"Oh," she murmured, grimacing at the image.

"Anything else," he asked, voice shaky.

"Where are we going? I know we're headed to Magnolia, but where are you taking me after that?"

"To my school. It's a secret place for SH's our age. They teach us about our kind and how to blend in with humans. I'm not so good with the," he gagged. "With the blending in part."

"What school is it? How do they keep an entire school a secret?"

"The school itself isn't really a secret. It's just that nobody outside of the academy knows what goes on inside. The school is actually pretty well known. Have you ever heard of FAEA?"

"FAEA? As in, the Fiore Academy for Extraordinary Adolescents, FAEA? The prestigious private school with a 2% admissions rate? _That_ FAEA?"

"Yup."

"Wha- Why? When. I can't. How long has FAEA been a school for superhumans?"

"Since always. The school was founded in the 70's for teens like us. Think of it as Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Except super top secret."

"You like X-men," Lucy asked, curious.

"It's only the best comic book franchise of all time," he said, voice less lifeless than before. "And Gambit is one of the best superheroes ever."

"Gambit? I pegged you as a Cyclops guy. Or maybe Wolverine…"

"Are you kidding? Wolverine's pretty awesome, but Gambit is the best X-Man by far."

"No way," Lucy contested. "Rogue is the best, hands down. There's not even a competition." Natsu grinned.

"Rogue is pretty badass. But Gambit's better. We're going to have to continue this conversation when I don't feel like barfing all over your lap."

"That sounds good. The conversation, that is. Not the puking."

Natsu gave a weak nod, whining when the bus hit a pothole and turning his face into her neck. Lucy's shoulders stiffened, and she tried not to think of how warm his lips were as they brushed her skin ever so slightly. His agonized groans distracted her as they went over a bumpy road. She reached her right hand over to rub soothing fingertips through his hair along his scalp, like her mother used to do when she was sick. Natsu sighed, the tension in his brows easing as Lucy worked her magic. Soon enough, his soft snores were muffled against her throat.

As lights overhead dimmed and the bus driver flipped the radio over to smooth jazz, Lucy's eyelids felt heavy. She had just had one of the longest, most eventful days of her life. Between locating the fortune teller and Bora's sham of a party and making a getaway with Natsu, this was the first time Lucy had really gotten to rest. Lucy should've been trying to process this new information- that she was more than human. That she was a succubus. That her entire life was now undeniably different. But sleep called to her, singing the sweetest of siren songs. Besides, her brain was too tired to digest this right now. She needed to rest first. And the bus ride was going to be six hours long, so…

Within moments, Lucy Heartfilia was asleep.

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 **Thank you for reading! Expect a new chapter next Monday. :) Until then, review and hit that follow button. Au revoir!**


	3. Not a Traditional School

**A/N: Hey guys! Thank you for all the support so far. :) Just to clarify, I do plan on releasing chapters weekly. Expect a new installment of this series every Monday. Or would a different day of the week be better? Let me know! Also, check out my tumblr account. My username is the same as it is on here, and I also have a link on my account page. This week's chapter isn't quite as exciting, but we meet a few more characters and get some crucial information. I've already written chapter 4, and it's jam-packed with stuff. So enjoy this chapter because it only get better!**

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Lucy awoke to someone shaking her right shoulder. She gave a groggy moan and tried to blink the sleep from her eyes. She looked over to see Happy trying to get her attention.

"Wake up, Lucy. I think we're at the station." Lucy nodded, motioning for Happy to get back in her bag before someone noticed him. The bus had a strict, no-animals policy.

She looked over to see Natsu still sleeping on her shoulder. She blushed when she noticed the way his arm was tightly coiled around her waist. She tried to free herself by peeling his hand away, but he only tightened his hold and nuzzled into her neck. She squeaked, her pretty blush deepening into tomato red. She shook his arm roughly, trying to wake him up.

"Come on, Natsu. We're here. You've gotta wake up."

Natsu groaned, rubbing his eyes and trying to shield them from the blinding light of the rising sun. He yawned, stretching his arms as the people around them began to file off the bus. Lucy tried to keep herself from ogling the sculpted V of his abdomen as his shirt rode up, but it was _pretty damn hard._ She tore her eyes away and stood up, arching her spine to stretch after being seated for so long.

They picked up their bags and shuffled off the vehicle, Natsu sticking his tongue out in a show of "good riddance". Lucy's mind flashed to the peculiar dream she'd had. Images of Natsu taunting a dragon to provoke a fight played in her mind. Everything had been on fire. It was probably their talk before she fell asleep. Of his ancestors defeating the last dragon and gaining its powers. She must've been walking in a daze because Natsu had to pull on her arm before she ran into a trash bin.

"Geeze, Lucy. You gotta watch where you're going."

Natsu then took it upon himself to grab Lucy's wrist and pull her along, as she had proven she could not do something as simple as walking by herself. She groaned and tried to shake his hand off, but he only tightened his grip. She resigned herself with a sigh and let him lead her. For some reason, she got a feeling that this would be a common occurrence- Natsu dragging her around wherever he pleases.

"So, this is Magnolia."

Lucy looked around in awe. Magnolia, a huge merchant city, was the pride and glory of Fiore's commerce. And Lucy could see why. The hustle and bustle of Magnolia was unprecedented. There were so many _people_. Tourists and locals and people on business. Artisans were selling jewelry, vendors were setting up their stands, and musicians were playing for tips on the sidewalks. Natsu grinned at the wonder on Lucy's face, pleased that she seemed to appreciate his town like he did. She was amazed. Unlike the pristine beauty of Fiore's capital, Crocus, Magnolia's appeal was loud and vibrant. It had life.

"This is wonderful! I've never seen anything like it," she glowed.

"Yeah, Magnolia is the best city ever. I'll give you the full tour soon, but we've gotta get to The Academy and get you registered. The school year starts soon, so we have to get you all sorted out now."

"So, what's the school like?"

"Well," Natsu started, pulling her along Moonlight Boulevard. "It's pretty big. They teach grades 9-12, and almost every SH teenager in Fiore goes here. Some people, like you, don't find out about their abilities until later, so we do get some transfers every now and then. Every SH highschooler in the country is welcome to attend, and tuition is free. The school gets its funding from the royal family, and-"

"The _royal family?_ Does the Fiore government know about SH's?"

"Only the top-ranking officers. The royal family is actually SuperHuman, so they fund the school to make sure we teach the new generations to keep our secret. The military even recruits special agents from school graduates to do top-secret missions and stuff."

"Wow. What kind of SH is the royal family?"

"That's classified," Natsu said, face serious and eyes earnest. He couldn't hold the expression for very long, however, and soon broke into laughter. Lucy snorted.

"Nice one."

"Honestly," he said sincerely. "No one really knows. Some people think they're Nephilim- those are the descendants of angels. Not all they're cracked up to be. I know one personally, and he's kind of a dick."

"Natsu! Language," Lucy scolded. Natsu rolled his eyes.

"My apologies, princess."

Lucy grimaced, hoping he didn't realize how close to the mark he really was. There was a kind of deja vu that sprung up at the phrase. Her favorite maid (who also happened to have pink hair, strangely enough) used to say that all the time. The conversation paused, and Lucy used the opportunity to think. She pondered for a moment, trying to absorb all this new information. She'd thought that being some sort of paranormal being had closed her off from society, but it turns out that there was this huge community of people all around her that she'd never known about. It was like she was finally seeing the real world for the first time.

"Hey, does the school have dorms," Lucy asked, praying that they did. "I don't really have a place to live right now."

"Yeah. You can either stay in the all-girls dorm or be set up in one of The Academy's townhouses. You have to pay rent, but-"

"Crap. How am I supposed to pay rent? I'm so beyond bankrupt," Lucy moaned.

"The school has odd jobs for students to earn money. What's with the face? You'll be fine," Natsu insisted, bringing Lucy to a stop. "See? This place isn't so scary."

Lucy looked up to see an old, monumental building. It was brick and mortar with elaborate columns that were several stories high. Gargoyles perched atop the enormous building, appearing as though they were eager to scare away any who did not belong. The grand entrance consisted of two impressive, old-fashioned wooden doors. To Lucy, it looked like the doorway to an entire world of secrets she couldn't wait to uncover. She couldn't suppress the anxiety that welled up in her because even greater was her escalating excitement. Lucy had always been a curious girl, and the suspense was killing her.

"Can I… go in?" Her voice was hesitant. Natsu snorted.

"No, I brought you all the way here so you could stand outside all day. Of course you can go in! I'll let you open the door yourself, though. It's always so cool the first time."

Lucy slowly approached the door, raising her hand to tentatively grasp the handle. It was silver, tarnished and worn from time. It felt cool in her hands, the metal smooth and curved to the fit of her palm. She tightened her grip as she was flooded with a new confidence and pulled. But the door was locked.

"Natsu, it's not opening. Why-" She cut off with a gasp.

The handle noticeably warmed in her hand, its tainted silver shifting to a glittering gold. A mark appeared on Lucy's hand, shining off her skin like sunlight reflected off glass. After a few seconds, it dimmed and left behind a pink symbol on her hand. The handle cooled back down and converted to its original antiqued silver. Finally, the gears within the door shifted around, clicking as they set into their new location.

Lucy pulled on the handle again. This time, the door opened. She glanced back at Natsu, flashing an excited grin before making her way inside. Her eyes widened upon seeing the inside of the school. It was even more magnificent than its exterior. Everything about the place was lavish. The floors were a polished marble shiny enough for Lucy to see her reflection in, and a sparkling chandelier hung from the middle of the room. All of the decor was either a shade of ivory or chestnut except for the deep crimson of the tufted victorian sofas that lined the walls. A massive double staircase, one on either side, encased the room and met at the entry for the second floor. But if Lucy continued down the middle of the room, she'd go into a hallway that lead to somewhere else on the first floor.

"So this is the foyer," Natsu said casually. "There's not much to do here except hang out. We're headed to the principal's office, so go straight down the hallway in between the staircases."

Lucy did as Natsu said, venturing into the room and marveling at the click of her heels against the floor. She let Happy out of her bag, the cat flying around and relishing his new freedom. Natsu followed close behind, letting her walk at her own pace and take time to absorb her surroundings. After crossing through the huge room, she started down the hallway, slightly distracted by the feel of Natsu's body heat close behind her. Lucy slowed at the fork in the hallway, wondering which direction she should go. She jumped when Natsu placed a hand on her arm to steer her.

"We're going to turn right here," he said, voice low.

"What's on the the left side?"

"I have no clue. It's prohibited from students. A few feet in, there's a magic block that forces people without access to turn around and leave. I tried it once; it feels like your body has a mind of its own."

"It was kind of creepy," Happy added.

Lucy's mouth twisted into a frown. That was the second mystery today, and Lucy had never been a fan of the unknown. She made a mental note to begin a checklist of SuperHuman conundrums that must be solved. 1. What is the royal family? 2. What lay at the end of the left hall? Natsu guided her, stopping in front of a door labeled, 'Principal's Office'.

"Makarov's inside. He'll set you up and get your schedule together. I've gotta help bring in some of the new equipment. I volunteered, and Erza will kill me if I don't show," Natsu said with a shiver. "See you later, Luigi!"

"It's Lucy," she yelled, disgruntled. Natsu grinned and dashed out of sight with Happy trailing behind.

She huffed, before turning back to the door and pushing it open. An old man sat doing paperwork at a rich mahogany desk, his bifocals sliding down his nose. He didn't react to her coming in, scribbling something down on an important-looking form. He reached over to type something into his computer before speaking.

"Are you going to sit down?"

"Oh," Lucy stammered, rushing to take a seat. "Sorry. I didn't think you realized I was here."

"Of course I did," he smiled. "I'm the one who let you enter the building. Think of that symbol on your hand as a key. There are several places all over Fiore that only SuperHumans can have access to. With that mark, you're now in the club, so to speak."

"Woah," Lucy said, admiring her right hand.

"Now, let's get down to business. Natsu brought you here to enroll, yes?"

"Correct," Lucy said with an eager nod.

"Do you have your transcripts?"

Lucy blanched. Being a teenage runaway had its disadvantages- like not having a lot of money or place to sleep. Or, for that matter, any important documents you may need. The only thing Lucy had to affirm her identity was her driver's license.

"No," Lucy murmured, deflated.

"Don't fret. I'll get them."

Makarov held out a hand as if he were expecting something, and suddenly a thick folder appeared. Lucy's expression contorted into one of disbelief as she watched him thumb through its contents in expert time. He hummed and nodded in approval as he read through the papers.

"4.2 GPA. Volunteer work for the school blood drive. Student ambassador. 1st place in two annual poetry contests. President of the Latin club. It seems that you are quite the model student, Miss Heartfilia."

"My dad had high expectations. That's all," Lucy said, blushing and looking away.

"Well, you must've met them with flying colors. The Magnolia board of education only requires three years of Math, Science, and History. So the only traditional class you'll be taking this year is English Literature."

"Traditional?"

"The Fiore Academy for Extraordinary Adolescents teaches its student all of the state-mandated curriculum for the first three years. The final year, however, our students learn about the SuperHuman realm. Since you'll be a senior, your curriculum will consist of classes that help you hone your skills and train you in self-defense. You'll also learn about SuperHuman history and how to keep from being exposed."

Makarov typed her information into the system, and Lucy used this time to process the way her school year would be this year. She'd be learning how to use her powers, as well as how to defend herself from attackers. And if her classmates were at all like Natsu, this would be a lively year.

"Miss Heartfilia," Makarov said, interrupting her from her thoughts. "I'd be correct in my assumption that you're a succubus, yes?"

"Um," Lucy stammered, panic welling up. "That's what I've been told. But it can't be true! I- I never-"

"Calm down, Lucy."

A sudden tranquility took hold of Lucy's body, and she felt the panic go away. She slumped in her seat, taking a deep breath in. Her erratic heart rate slowed, and the heat in her face cooled. She knew this serenity probably had something to do with Makarov's order, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

"You don't need to explain yourself to me. We have SH's of all kinds here. It would be in your best interest to learn more about your race, but that's just for your own well-being. As long as you take care of yourself and refrain from hurting others, your business is your own. The school board will not intervene. Do you have any resources to learn about succubi from?"

"I have this," Lucy said, pulling a book from her bag. "I haven't read it yet, though."

"That," Makarov chuckled. "Is a bit dated. And the author had a prejudice against your kind that likely wouldn't be very flattering. I wouldn't take anything from that book too seriously."

"Ugh," Lucy groaned in exasperation. "I wasted 19,000 jewels on this thing!"

Makarov chuckled and pressed a button on his computer, printing out a sheet of paper. He placed it in a stack with a few other forms and handed it to Lucy with a warm smile.

"Here is your schedule, along with a school map and information about the opening ceremony. School doesn't start for two days, but the library is open. The librarian's assistant could help you find some books about succubi. Your new address is written down on one of those papers. First, however, you should probably get your school uniform and school supplies. The school store is in in the room right across the hall. Hand this to MiraJane, and she'll get your order for you. Tell her it's on me," he said with a warm grin, handing her what looked like a receipt.

"Thank you for everything you've done," Lucy said, standing up and putting her papers in her bag. She walked to the door, giving Makarov one last grateful smile before heading on her way.

She opened the door across the hall and entered the school store. A long counter divided the room, and behind it lay a vast array of school supplies, uniforms, and snacks. Lucy ripped off a stub from the ticket dispenser and stood in line. The ticket was blank, and she turned it over in her palm again and again as she made her way to the front of the line.

"Next!"

Lucy gasped when the ticket in her hand began to glow, glancing up to see the clerk looking at her expectantly. She stuttered an apology and stepped up to the counter. _I guess that's why there was no number._ Lucy handed over the paper Makarov had given her.

"Let's see what we have here," the clerk said, giving it a once-over.

The clerk was a pretty girl, appearing to be around Lucy's age. Her eyes were big and ice-blue, her hair an almost-white platinum blonde. She wore her bangs pinned back from her face, leaving the rest of her hair to flow down to her waist. Lucy couldn't help the sneaking suspicion that she'd seen her before.

"This is a large order," the girl murmured. She flounced over to the rack of clothing and plucked out three pleated, red plaid skirts, two black pencil skirts, and two pairs of khaki capris. And the pile only grew. One black blazer, two red sweater vests, six white button ups, and five cardigans. Several packages of sheer tights and a few pairs of black knee highs. Ties of at least five different varieties, a red bow tie, and a pack of hair ties. And finally, a single FAEA pin.

"Is that... all of it?"

"Oh," the clerk exclaimed. "How silly of me! I forgot all the school supplies."

She rushed to grab a backpack and fill it with notebooks, folders, and the like. _Dear_ _Lord, how am I supposed to carry all this stuff?_ Lucy watched the clerk put everything into bags and ring her up.

"So, are you a new transfer? I haven't seen you around before."

"Yeah. I just found out about the whole, um-"

"SuperHuman thing? Yeah, some people come into their powers later than others. Are you a junior?"

"Incoming senior," Lucy corrected, still trying to place where she'd seen this girl's face before.

"That's great! I'm a senior, too. My name's MiraJane, by the way."

"I'm Lucy. MiraJane... like the Maybelline girl?"

"That's so embarrassing," MiraJane blushed prettily. "I just model for some spending money. Anyways, your total is 35,000 jewels."

"Makarov said it's on him," Lucy said nervously. No way did she have that much money. MiraJane eyed her intently for a moment before giving Lucy a warm smile.

"Oh! Okay. Here are your bags," she said, handing them over. "And I'll see you around some time."

"Thanks," Lucy said, taking her enormous purchase and giving MiraJane a smile. "You too."

She dug out her school map and made her way to the library. The library was, of course, as huge and luxurious as the rest of the school. But it was completely empty, not a single person in sight. Lucy set down her cumbersome bags before walking up to the desk, trying to find help.

"Hello?"

A thud sounded from beneath the desk, followed by a curse. Suddenly, a mop of electric blue hair made its way into sight. The rest of the person it was attached to came into view soon after. It was a girl with round brown eyes and a button nose. Her skin was incredibly fair, and her bone structure was delicate. She looked like a porcelain doll.

"Sorry," the girl said, blowing her bangs out of her eyes with a huff. "I'm Levy McGarden, the librarian's assistant. How may I help you ?"

"Lucy Heartfilia," Lucy said with soft smile. "I was looking for a book about a certain kind of SuperHuman."

"I'll take you to the paranormal section," Levy said, hopping over the desk. "We have books on virtually every kind of SH here, so I'm sure we'll find what you're looking for."

Lucy followed her to the back of the library, noting how short this girl was. She could only be 4'11, 5'0 tops. Despite this, she seemed to be manning the library by herself just fine. She was definitely capable.

"So if you're the assistant, where's the librarian?"

"He's off taking a nap or flirting with women most of the time. Which is probably for the best. Gildarts is a good guy, but he tends to destroy everything he touches. We've lost many a soldier to him."

"What," Lucy gasped, eyes wide in alarm.

"I mean the books," Levy chuckled. "We have some really valuable literature in here, so it probably best that the actual librarian stays as far away as possible."

Lucy wondered exactly what kind of person this Gildarts was. A librarian that was hazardous to the library? It made no sense for one person to be so destructive. Lucy's mind flashed to Natsu, and she hypothesized that recklessness was an SH thing. Levy lead her to the stairs, making a grand gesture when they reached the top.

"The entire top floor is dedicated to books on SH's- we have a pretty extensive collection. We organize _these_ books by subject, rather than author. What kind of SuperHuman are you researching?"

"Succubus. F-for an essay," Lucy rushed to say.

"I see. I've always found them fascinating. Right this way."

Levy showed Lucy the succubus books, picking out the three that she thought were the most informative. They headed back downstairs, making small talk the whole way. Ah, small talk. Lucy relished it. It had been so long since Lucy was able to lose herself in lighthearted conversation.

"I loved that book! It was so underrated," Levy chattered.

"I know, right? I enjoyed it so much more than most of the bestsellers I've read," Lucy said, agreeing.

"You should totally join the book club! I actually don't know how we haven't seen each other around before."

"I'm new," Lucy said, laying the books on the counter. "I just enrolled earlier today. I'll be a senior."

"Me, too! Have you met anyone else? It must be hard, going to a school where you don't know anyone. Especially a school like this."

"I met MiraJane when I went to the school store. And Natsu, of course. He was the one who brought me here."

"Natsu," Levy asked, incredulous. "Natsu Dragneel?"

"Yeah. You know him?"

"Since fourth grade," Levy snorted, checking out Lucy's books. "He's the biggest goofball on the planet. You've gotta tell me how the two of you met. I'm sure it's quite the story."

"Yeah," Lucy sighed. "It certainly is. But I should probably go. I need to find out where I'm living."

"You got an address? I could probably point you in the right direction," Levy said helpfully.

"It's written down somewhere in one of those bags," Lucy grumbled, pointing to the pile of stuff sitting in the corner. Levy gave a low whistle.

"All of that's yours? How are you gonna carry the books on top of that stuff?"

"I'll just have to make it work," Lucy said, trying to sound cheerful. "It may be a hassle, but it's nice having things to drag around for a change."

If Levy noticed Lucy's insinuation, which she likely did, she chose not to say anything. Instead, she glanced around the empty library, pursing her lips. After giving it a moment's thought, she opened a drawer and pulled out an intimidatingly crowded keychain.

"How about I lock up early and help you? We're not exactly jam-packed at the library today. We never are before school starts. I'll carry some of your bags."

"Are you sure," Lucy said, concerned. "I don't want to get you in trouble or anything."

"No, it's fine. Really. Besides, what are friends for?"

Lucy watched, a little awe-stricken, as Levy walked over to her bags and scooped a few up. She'd experienced more generosity in the twenty-four hours after meeting Natsu than she had in the six weeks she'd spent on her own. A feeling she'd never had before brimmed in her chest. She'd lived a charmed life with her father, being pampered by tutors and servants. But never had someone truly wanted to help her out of pure kindness. Lucy dabbed at the moisture in her eyes while Levy had her back turned, not wanting to look like a glassy-eyed damsel in distress.

 _Friends, huh? That sounds nice._

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 **I hope you guys liked this chapter. Next week's chapter is super good. I kind of itching to release it early. :P Follow this story and review! Reviews are love. I'd like to send a cyber-hug to all the reviews I've** **received thus far. Y'all are great. Anyways, until next time. 3**


	4. Those Who Play With Fire

**Author's Note: Hey guys! Really quick, I had a reviewer ask why the links on my profile weren't working, and I honestly have no idea why. :( If you want to find me on tumblr, my username is the same. Until the link works, I guess you guys'll just have to manually search for me. Sorry this chapter is late. Labor Day weekend was crazy, and school has been pretty busy for me. I'm excited for you guys to read this chapter, though, because this is where the story starts to pick up. Same as usual, I do not own the story... _yet_. Enjoy!**

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Lucy was trapped in a sea of red. It was everywhere she turned, with no foreseeable end. The air was unbearably hot, and it was stifling. Destruction was everywhere, and the lively city of Magnolia that she'd only just come to know was being ravaged. Lucy watched as the crimson and gold flames licked up buildings and swallowed everything whole. The world was on fire, and there was no escape.

She ran. Trying to find a way out. Trying to find another living soul- _Someone. Anyone._ She stopped dead in her tracks when she heard a roar in the distance. The deep, rumbling sound rattled the buildings, sending one of them tumbling down. A chill crawled its way up Lucy's spine. Never in her life had she heard something so terrifying. Her heart hammered in her chest when the flapping of wings grew louder, and she realized that whatever creature she'd heard was coming towards her.

Before Lucy could will her paralyzed legs to move, a dragon crashed into the asphalt right in front of her. She ducked down, using her arms to shield herself from the debris. When she looked back up, she found a pair of dangerous reptilian eyes boring into her very soul. They were filled with deadly intent, which only became more apparent as the scaled monster moved even closer towards her.

"Lucy? What are you doing here?"

Lucy jerked back, startled, before turning to see who'd spoken to her. Not like she didn't already know. While she hadn't known him long, Lucy knew she could recognize Natsu's voice anywhere. He stared at her with wide eyes, seemingly more shocked by Lucy's appearance rather than that of the three story-tall dragon that stood before her. He ran to her, and Lucy took notice of the sword in Natsu's hand. Was he going to try fighting this thing?

"Natsu? Where is everyone? Why is everything-" _On fire._ Lucy wanted to say it, but the words snagged in her throat. Natsu caught her meaning without the use of words.

"It's this goddamned dragon's fault," he snarled, moving to stand in front of her. Lucy fisted a hand in the back of Natsu's shirt, looking over his shoulder to see this gleam of his sword. He swung the blade haphazardly at the beast, setting his shoulders when it only spit a gust of fire in retaliation. He was protecting them, even though Lucy could feel the tremors that raked his body and shook the blade he held. Lucy felt something foreign twist in her gut. There was something about the way he guarded her with trembling hands that shook her to her core. Natsu was scared. But despite this, he would face this dragon head on and keep Lucy safe.

"I'm gonna fight this thing, Lucy," he said, voice low. "And you're gonna run."

"No," she bit out, fist tightening in his shirt. "I'm not leaving you alone."

" _Lucy_ -"

" _Natsu_. I. Won't. Go."

He groaned, looking as if he wanted to rip his hair out. He wanted to turn to her- to shake some sense into her. But he couldn't afford to let his eyes leave the dragon. If he did, they'd both be dead. The dragon loomed over them, opening its mouth as if to swallow them whole. But right before they were about to be eaten alive, a chirping sound made itself known.

"What's that," Natsu asked, confused. He looked around, trying to find the source. Lucy's eyebrows pulled together.

"That sounds like my ringtone," she murmured. The sound only grew louder, as if it were coming closer. Why-

" _Dragon breath! Wake the fuck up! Erza's gonna be on our asses if we're late!_ "

Lucy jolted out of bed, damp hair plastered to her forehead. She could still feel residual heat in the air around her- could still smell the smoke and ash. She looked over to her side table to see her cell phone going off. _Incoming Call from Levy McGarden_.

"Hello," Lucy mumbled, voice groggy. "What's up?"

"Lucy? Where are you? School starts in fifteen minutes. _Please_ tell me you're not in bed right now."

 _Oh, shit._ It was only the first day of school, and Lucy was already screwing up. She must've set her alarm an hour late by accident. A quick glance at Lucy's alarm clock confirmed that, yes, school started in fifteen minutes. Wait, fourteen. And time was only getting shorter.

" _LevyI'vegottagoI'llseeyoulaterbye_."

"What? Lu-"

Lucy hung up the phone and got ready at the speed of light. She silently thanked the higher powers that she'd had the good sense to bathe and brush her teeth the night before because it certainly wasn't happening that morning. She got her clothes on in two minutes flat, throwing a hairbrush and makeup in her backpack before sprinting out the door. _No breakfast today_ , she thought grimly.

After leaving the quaint little cottage on Strawberry Street that Levy had guided her to days before, Lucy made a mad dash to the academy. The school was about a fifteen minute walk away- which would hopefully translate to an eight minute run. She practically shoved aside several poor pedestrians in her haste to get to school. _Crap, crap, crap. I'm_ so _gonna be late_.

"Slow the fuck down, Ice Bastard! My shoes are still untied!"

"I'm not facing Erza's wrath just because you're a dumbfuck. Hurry up!"

Lucy glanced over to see Natsu running alongside a boy with black hair and… no shirt? She could only catch glimpses of them as she ran; too many people were between them for her to get a clear view. Almost as if sensing her stare, Natsu looked over and met her eyes. For a moment, it felt like time had stopped. The crowd blurred, and the only face was Natsu's. But the horde of people refused to be ignored, and soon enough Natsu's face was once again obscured from sight.

Lucy thought about the dream she'd had the night before. Natsu protecting her from a full-fledged dragon? The whole thing was ludicrous, really. Natsu said the last dragon died forever ago. The city of Magnolia was clearly fine- not decimated by fire like it had been in that nightmare. It was obviously something that her brain had thrown together in boredom while she slept. But why did it feel like it really happened during the brief moments she had looked in Natsu's eyes?

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This was not Natsu's morning. Waking up late and having to run to school was not a rare occurrence. In fact, that was the only thing that made Natsu's morning relatively normal. But the strange dream from the night before sent his head reeling, and the glimpse he'd caught of Lucy almost made him trip over his own feet. In Natsu's defense, it wasn't every day that a pretty girl popped up in the recurring nightmare that had been plaguing his sleep without change for the last five years.

He had been prepared to face his end in battle with that wretched beast as he did every night when a pair of startled brown eyes changed the world as he knew it. Even after entering the classroom, Natsu was distracted by thoughts of her. Lucy was wreaking havoc on his mind with her wide eyes and shaking shoulders that he just wanted to wrap a comforting arm around. And don't get him started on those quivering lips that he just wanted to-

 _Where in the hell is that thought coming from?_ Natsu shook his head back and forth, trying to clear his mind. Sure, the girl was pretty. But Natsu knew a lot of pretty girls. Lucy Heartfilia was not a novelty- at least, that's what Natsu tried telling himself. Every bone in his body, however, screamed otherwise. _Pay attention to her_ , they said. _She's special_.

His thoughts were interrupted when his teacher, Nab Lasaro, cleared his throat and started calling role for first period.

"Yukino Aguria."

"Present."

"Cana Alberona."

"Morning, teach'."

"Rogue Cheney."

"Here."

"Natsu Dragneel."

"Yo."

"Laxus Dreyar."

"Whatever."

"Sting Eucliffe."

"Here."

"Gray Fullbuster."

"Here."

"Lucy Heartfilia."

Natsu almost choked on his own spit and started frantically thumping his chest while trying not to hack up a lung. Gray just looked at him like he was crazy, the bastard. Gajeel outright laughed at him across the room. If Natsu wasn't coughing like he'd contracted the plague, he would've cussed the fucker out.

"Lucy Heartfilia? Is Lucy Heartfilia here?"

Just then, the door was yanked open, and the girl in question appeared. She looked out of breath, like she'd just finished running a marathon. The cherry red of her face was probably from more than mere exertion, however. All eyes were trained on her; despite being in a room full of supernaturals, Lucy felt like the freakshow.

"Sorry. I," she paused, catching her breath. "I woke up late and got lost, and this flying cat I know made off with my lunch and-"

"It's fine, Ms. Heartfilia. Take a seat."

Lucy gave an embarrassed nod before scanning the classroom, trying to find someone she knows. _Damn. Levy and Mirajane aren't in here._ Finally, her eyes rested on a tuft of pink hair in the back of the class- and the convenient open seat nearby. _Bingo_. She made her way to the back row, ignoring the questioning glances she received as well as the rising heat in her cheeks. First days are always so embarrassing.

"Good morning, Natsu," she whispered. He grinned.

"Good morning, Luigi."

He gave an evil cackle while defending himself from Lucy's furious fists. He caught her wrists with a laugh, flashing a smile that made her heart race. And Natsu, with his damned super-hearing, could totally tell. His face flushed a shade of pink that rivaled his hair, and his grip unconsciously tightened. The moment only grew more awkward when Gray cleared his throat, and the two realized that the entire class was watching them. Lucy squeaked, yanking her hands away, while Natsu rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. The entire exchange left the whole class wondering how Natsu had already gotten so chummy with the new girl. Most people dropped it soon after. The answer? He's Natsu.

Cana Alberona, however, did not drop it. After Professor Nab dismissed the everyone to the senior class's opening ceremony, Cana decided to wait by the door and snatch the new girl up while Natsu was distracted. As expected, Natsu and Gajeel wound up fighting before they even left the room, giving Cana the perfect opportunity to strike. She wrapped an arm around the confused new girl's shoulders, hastily getting her out of Natsu's sight.

"Lucy. New girl. Walk with me. Talk with me."

"Um," Lucy stammered, unsure. "Sure?"

"I'm Cana. I like money, booze, and dirty secrets. I'm the best person to get info from in the entire school, and I'm a prophet. So even if no one tells me, I still know," she said with a wink.

"A prophet? For real," Lucy asked in awe as they entered the auditorium.

"Yup. I get visions, read palms and tarot cards. You know, all that jazz. But it doesn't take magic powers to see that you and Natsu clearly have something going on. Spill."

"Um, I-"

"Lu-chan! Over here!"

Relieved, Lucy looked over to see a familiar face waving at her from across the auditorium. Levy gestured to the free seats on her left, but Lucy couldn't help but notice the seat currently occupied on Levy's right. She recognized the guy from class earlier. He was tall, dark, and intimidating with an eyebrow piercing, a lip ring, and long black hair. But despite his scowl, it was obvious from all the surrounding free seats that he'd sat next to Levy by choice. Strange. The two were complete opposites, and not just in looks. Levy's happy smile and sunny disposition were all the brighter when compared to Gajeel's grimace and gruff attitude. _What an odd combination._

"You know pipsqueak," Cana asked as the walked over to Levy.

"We met at the library the day I enrolled," Lucy explained.

"Hey, Lu-chan. I'm glad that you got to school okay," Levy smiled as they sat down.

"More or less," Lucy grimaced.

"Well, I see you met Cana. This antisocial oaf is Gajeel," Levy said, gesturing to the man on her right. He scowled even more, if possible.

"I ain't antisocial, shrimp. And I can speak for myself," He protested. Levy raised a challenging eyebrow.

"Then do it," she said haughtily. He huffed.

"I'm Gajeel. Don't get too close or I'll bite you," he grumbled, giving Levy a 'you happy?' look. She rolled her eyes while Lucy eyed them in confusion.

"Did I miss something?"

"Gajeel's a vampire," Cana explained. "But his bark is way worse than his bite."

"The fuck did you say," Gajeel hissed. "My bite is deadly!"

"Sure it is, tiger," Levy said, patting his head. Gajeel gave up, groaning and slumping in his seat.

So. Vampires were apparently real, and Lucy was sitting mere feet away from one. No big. She also knew a prophet and a dragon. Why not a vampire? Lucy herself was a succubus- a fellow creature of the night, if you will. She wasn't exactly able to judge someone for being one of the scary monsters from bedtime stories. Even after spending hours pouring over the books she'd borrowed from the library, she found that there was no way of escaping her dietary needs. She would have to-

Lucy squeezed her eyes shut, trying to dispel the thought from her mind. She had plenty of time to think of that. Now, she had to focus on something else. Like making friends. Getting to classes on time. Surviving her senior year in this crazy school. Lucy made small talk with the others, finding out that Levy was a pixie and Cana was a borderline alcoholic. Everyone in the room grew silent, however, when a crimson-haired student made her way up to the podium. She heard murmurs of _Erza_ , _Titania_ , and _terrifying_. This was a girl that was supposed to be feared.

"Hello, students of Fiore Academy for Extraordinary Adolescents. Most of you know me. I am Erza Scarlet, your Student Council President. In this final year, we will be venturing together into the unknown…"

And so it went. A typical speech from the Student Council President. Well, it was until the stage caught fire. The culprit? None other than Natsu Dragneel. He was sitting in the front row when his fire breath rapidly grew out of control. In his defense, the speech had been incredibly boring. And when Natsu was bored, he tended to play with fire. Yeah, sure. He'd heard the old saying. _Those who play with fire get burned_. But Natsu was immune to flames, so the whole thing was a moot point. He had forgotten to factor in, however, how flammable the curtains lining the stage were. Oops.

" _Natsu Dragneel_." Erza's voice was filled with deadly intent. He gave a little yelp before springing up from his seat and trying to run away. But one does not simply run away from Erza Scarlet. She leapt off the stage, and everyone in the room could see the bloodthirst in her eyes.

While Erza chased Natsu around the auditorium, the boy that Lucy had seen earlier jumped on the stage. His shirt was on now, but it lay unbuttoned, giving everyone a clear view of his sculpted torso. He seemed completely oblivious to his state of undress as he took center stage.

"Hey guys. Just, uh, sit tight and I'll get this fire taken care of," he assured before turning to the curtains. The air around him began to freeze, and soon enough the front half of the auditorium was covered in a sheet of ice.

"Who's that," Lucy asked, shivering.

"Oh, that's Gray Fullbuster. He's a descendant of Jack Frost. Don't mind the stripping habit. No matter how hard he tries, he just can't break it. We all just have to put up with seeing him in the buff- not that we really mind it. Us girls call him the _abdominal_ snowman, if you catch my drift," Cana said with a smirk.

It didn't take long for bad to turn worse, and soon enough Gray's ice magic was spinning out of control. Gajeel sprung up and tackled him, complaining about the cold. Gray only fought back, and soon enough several more people joined in to the ruckus. One in particular caught Lucy's eye. The girl looked panicked, her long cerulean hair swishing this way and that. Her eyes were wide and worried, framed with thick eyelashes and jet black eyeliner. And the color? A navy blue that was deeper than the ocean. She would look like Venus personified if it wasn't for her frantic screaming.

"Gajeel-kun! Unhand Gray-sama this instant! Gray-sama, Juvia's coming to save you!"

"And that is…?"

"Juvia Lockser. She is madly in love with Gray Fullbuster and has a habit of referring to herself in third person. She harmless, really," Levy swore earnestly. "Just don't let her sing to you."

Lucy raised an eyebrow in question, not even bothering to ask. She would normally take Levy's warning as a sign that Juvia was a bad singer, but with people like this there had to have been some sort of paranormal phenomenon going on behind the scenes. _Maybe Juvia is a harpie? Or a Llorona?_ Lucy was interrupted from her thoughts when she heard a cry of pain behind her. She spun around to see that Erza had caught Natsu. And now she was on her way to break up the fight.

"What kind of SH is Erza," Lucy asked, expecting Levy's answer to be dangerous and frightening.

"Erza? She's a fairy."

"A fairy," Lucy asked, aghast. "Like you?"

"I'm a pixie," Levy clarified. "Totally different, despite misconceptions."

"What's the difference?"

"The difference between pixies and fairies? For starters, fairies have wings, and pixies don't. Secondly, pixies use Deception magic. We like to mess with people. But fairies? They're more," Levy shuddered as Erza slammed yet another body to the floor. "Vicious."

Lucy shivered at Erza's brute strength. This was what _fairies_ were like? Never in Lucy's life had she thought the innocent winged creatures were real- or so violent. She had so many misconceptions about this world she'd only heard of in storybooks. Not only were fairies gifted with God-like strength, but she was sitting a few seats away from a vampire who didn't seem the least bit interested in eating her. He did have that dark and brooding vibe about him, though. But Lucy figured that he was just that kind of person.

"Isn't faculty going to step in," Lucy asked, worried.

"Nah," Cana assured her. "When Erza enters Rage Mode, nobody wants to get in her way. How do you think she became Student Council Pres?"

"So this is normal," Lucy asked, appalled.

"Oh, hell no. Normally Erza beats the shit out of twenty guys at a time. Today it's only eight or nine. I guess people are on their best behavior for the first day and all."

Lucy shivered at the display. This school was _insane_. She had no idea how Cana and Levy handled the madness without breaking a sweat. Lucy should probably drop out. She'd probably be swallowed whole by one of these psychotic students before the first week was even through. There was no way she could do this. There was no way she could-

A wicked grin caught Lucy's eye, and time did that weird, slow-motion thing again. _Natsu_. Despite the bloody cut on his lip and the deep violet bruise that dusted his left cheekbone, he was still devastatingly good looking. Now that Erza's attentions were focused elsewhere, Natsu had regained his usual swagger, which was evident in every stride as he crossed the auditorium on his way to Lucy. She felt her heart skip a beat as he approached.

"There you are. We got split up," Natsu gave Cana a pointed look before sitting down. "So I didn't know where you were."

"Yeah, we were just sitting here with Levy and Gajeel," Lucy said, gesturing to the others.

"I noticed. What's up, Levs?"

"Don't get so friendly with shrimp, Fuckface," Gajeel bit out. Natsu fumed.

"I've known Levy longer than you have, bloodsucker!"

"You tryin' a start somethin?"

"No," Lucy rushed to say. "He isn't."

"Che. I'm done with you idiots. The first day is lame, anyways. I'm going home," Gajeel grumbled, getting up to leave. He left with Levy on his tail, trying to make him stay by force but only being dragged behind. Natsu snorted at the image.

"They really are a weird looking couple."

"I think they're cute," Lucy said after a moment's thought. "They kind of complement each other."

"Huh. Maybe you're the weird one, Luigi," Natsu teased. Lucy gasped.

"Take that back!"

"No way. It's not my fault that you're a _weirdo_."

With that, Natsu sprung up from his seat and ran down the aisle. Lucy chased after him, yelling in protest. He only laughed, playfully sticking his tongue out. She finally caught him by jumping on his back, sending the two tumbling to the floor. They landed in an awkward tangle of limbs, and for a moment Lucy was worried that she'd crossed a line. But Natsu only erupted into a fit of giggles, and it didn't take long for Lucy to join in.

Cana, forgotten, watched from afar. Her plan has been fruitless, and she still hadn't squeezed any details from Blondie. But with the way those two idiots were grinning at each other, it wouldn't be long before they caught feelings. And it definitely wouldn't be long until Mira caught wind of the situation and tried using her matchmaking spells. This must be prevented at all costs, of course, as MiraJane's love spells always backfired.

They were definitely a strange pair. The pretty princess who had just stepped into this new world and the rugged ruffian who had been in it for as long as he could remember. Basic logic indicated that this was a disaster waiting to happen. But there was that old saying. _Opposites attract_. The fair maiden might actually tame the fearsome dragon. Lucy had already prevented Natsu from fighting Gajeel, which was nothing short of a miracle.

And Natsu? He was helping Lucy venture into this strange, new world. And, unbeknownst to him, he was the first person to ever make Lucy's cheeks hurt from smiling so wide. Maybe this wild child was teaching the princess how to live a little.

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 **Thanks for reading! I'll try to update next Friday. Until then, follow and review this story! :) Toodles.**


	5. Trick of the Light

**A/N: I HAVE RETURNED. Sorry for updating so late. I've had a whole bunch of family drama (like, you wouldn't even _know_ ). But I've managed to finish up this chapter and get it to you. I rushed through editing (which usually takes me a day and a half), so I'm sorry for any mistakes. I should probably find a beta reader. Yeah. Anyways, a huge thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. You all brighten my day like you would not believe. It's nice to know that someone's reading this junk. ;) In this chapter **the plot thickens **. Sit back, and enjoy the ride.**

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If Lucy thought orientation was insane, then lunch was the start of the apocalypse. People savagely fought for lunches with such viciousness you'd think they hadn't eaten in days. Lucy resigned herself to a sad-looking turkey sub with wilted lettuce. It wasn't like she'd be eating anyways. She ended up sitting with Natsu and his friends, as Levy and Gajeel still hadn't reappeared. Lucy vaguely wondered if Gajeel really had gone home for the day, and she thought about going to look for them. That was, until Natsu made a crude remark about them being in the library (doing things _other_ than reading) that made Lucy flush. It would probably be best that she not seek them out.

Natsu introduced Lucy to the table, but it was a far cry from the quaint introductions that she'd been quarry to in her father's world of wealth and etiquette. Actually, it was unlike any introduction she'd ever heard in her life. In the most blase tone he could muster, he gave a bored, "Yeah, this is the blonde I met the other day."

Lucy gaped at him, offended, before seeing the corner of Natsu's lips twitch. Her eyes narrowed. This punk was messing with her! She opened her mouth to say something in retaliation, but someone else beat her to the punch.

"You mean the one you wouldn't shut up about," Gray snickered. Natsu flushed.

"Shut up, snow cone! You don't know what you're talking about!"

"Yeah, I do. I'm the one that had to listen to you go on about how pretty her hair was and how nice she smelled and how big her-"

Natsu sprang across the table, tackling Gray with a battle cry. They wrestled on the floor while Lucy stayed seated, confused. How big her what was? Her ass? Sure, she hadn't eaten much other than fast food for the last few weeks. But that didn't make her fat. Lucy felt herself grow defensive.

"How big my what is," Lucy asked, eyes narrowing.

"Eyes! You have big eyes," Natsu shouted, covering Gray's mouth before he could respond. Lucy thought she heard Gray snicker, but her worry dissipated. Well, until she spotted Erza Scarlet making a beeline for their table.

"You guys," Lucy said, voice panicked. "Why is Erza headed over here?"

Natsu and Gray stopped in their tracks and, all of the sudden, started _hugging_. Lucy's eyebrows scrunched together as she watched the scene, baffled. The two fought like cats and dogs, but now they had some sort of bromance going on? The thud of a lunch tray on the open table next to her diverted her attention. She looked over and immediately shivered. Erza Scarlet was sitting next to her.

"It's nice to see the two of you getting along," the redhead murmured. "I could've sworn you were fighting. I thought I'd have to settle things myself."

Natsu visibly shuddered at the calm lilt of Erza's voice before pulling away from Gray's half-assed embrace. Gray followed suit, approaching the table the way one would approach a lion's den. Despite the boys' extreme caution and hesitance, neither reacted as if Erza sitting at their table was something out of the norm. As Lucy watched the three converse, she realized that Erza's no-nonsense discipline was less like that of a student council president and more like that of a mother. A frightening one, but a mother none the less.

"Oh, my apologies. I have not yet introduced myself. I'm Erza Scarlet. Pleased to make your acquaintance," Erza said, extending a hand. Lucy vaguely noted how much more familiar Erza's polite pleasantries were.

"Lucy Heartfilia. I'm a new transfer. I'm pleased to meet you as well," Lucy said, shaking Erza's hand. Erza smiled.

"What a polite girl. Tell me, why are you with these buffoons?"

"Hey," Natsu cried in indignation. "I'm not a buffoon!"

"You seem deserving of more civilized company," Erza continued, ignoring Natsu's interruption. Lucy giggled.

"They're not that bad. Natsu's been really helpful actually." Natsu beamed.

"See? I can be polite," Natsu said proudly. Gray huffed.

"Polite, my ass. Damned dragon," he muttered. Natsu growled, and the two looked like they were about to break out into another wrestling match. They stopped in their tracks, however, when Erza gave a low sound of warning, suddenly becoming sheepish. It occurred to Lucy that as brutal as Erza's methods were, they might be the only thing keeping the school from tumbling into chaos. Natsu and Gray alone were like two rabid dogs itching to fight.

Eventually MiraJane wandered to the table with her boyfriend, Laxus, who was Makarov's grandson and a foul-tempered descendant of Zeus. Mira's humongous brother and his girlfriend, a descendant of Medusa, followed close behind. Juvia seemed to pop up out of nowhere, narrowing her eyes when she saw Lucy sitting next to Gray and promptly settling in between them. Lucy could've sworn she heard the girl grumble about a love rival.

It wasn't long before the entire table was laughing and carrying on, everyone quickly accepting Lucy as one of their own. It was a completely foreign feeling, being so included, and Lucy relished in it. But the joy didn't last long. Lucy felt a weird energy fizzle in her gut when a dark, intimidating girl caught her eye. Her nails were as black and shiny as her long hair, and her stiletto heels looked deadly. She wore deep red lipstick and smokey, black eyeshadow. But perhaps the most noteworthy thing about her appearance was what she wasn't wearing. The top three buttons on her shirt were undone, her red bra peaking out. And her skirt was short enough to make Lucy a little nervous. _There is absolutely no way that she isn't violating dress code,_ Lucy thought.

As if sensing Lucy's curious eyes, the girl looked directly at her. She held her gaze for a few moments, but Lucy's unease must have shown. The girl's lips stretched into a cruel smirk, and she averted her attention back to the blonde boy she'd been conversing with, whose eyes had wandered over to Lucy in curiousity.

"That's Minerva Orland," Mira said, having noticed the exchange. "And her, err, _friend_ Sting Eucliffe. They're not the best people to get mixed up with. Believe me."

Lucy nodded, not mentioning that, somehow, she'd already known that. There was a knotting and twisting in her stomach that told her she'd made a mistake during her stare-off with Minerva. She felt as though she'd just served herself up on a silver platter to a highly dangerous and extremely ravenous beast. Something about this girl was making all sorts of alarms go off in Lucy's head. _Danger_.

The lunch bell rang, and the table got up to throw the leftover contents of their trays away. Natsu gave an intent look at the half sandwich that lay on Lucy's, and she rolled her eyes before surrendering it to him. Trying to keep up appearances, she had tried eating, but it didn't take long for the nausea to begin. She would throw up if she ate anymore anyways. Damned succubus genes. She needed to come up with an excuse for not eating lunch because she couldn't afford to spend money on school lunches she wouldn't even be eating.

When she arrived at the lunch tray rack by the door, she caught a flash of glossy, black hair in her peripheral. But not soon enough. A bowl of tomato soup was soon smeared all over the front of Lucy's brand-new white shirt. An uncomfortable, sticky sensation flooded her as the lukewarm liquid soaked through her clothes and seeped into her bra. Lucy gasped, and several bystanders gaped at the scene with open mouths. Lucy's head snapped up to find a pair of cynical, black eyes laughing at her.

"Oops. So sorry. My hand must have slipped," Minerva said, the amused tone of her voice implying that it was in no way an accident. She leaned in close to Lucy's ear before whispering, "This is _my_ territory. Don't forget that."

Minerva pulled away swiftly and exited the room. Natsu, having heard the girl's murmur with his hypersensitive hearing, stepped forward dangerously. His jaw was clenched tightly and his fists were clenched even tighter. Lucy stepped in front of him, placing her hands on his chest and shaking her head. She did not want anymore fights today.

"That despicable harlot," Erza growled out, tossing her bag to the ground and going after Minerva. Well. No more fights for Natsu, that is.

"You poor thing," Mira cried, taking her hand. "We'll clean you up."

Mira pulled Lucy away with Juvia following close behind. They found the nearest Ladies' Room, and Mira had Lucy hop up to sit at the edge of the sink. Lucy took off her cardigan and sat still as Juvia ran a clump of paper towels under cold water from the tap.

"Even love rivals should not be treated this way," Juvia murmured as she gently dabbed at the red stain clinging to Lucy's shirt. Lucy raised a confused eyebrow at the mention of love rivals but thanked Juvia for treating the stain.

"I'll go grab a spare shirt from my locker," Mira said. "I'll be right back."

She left the two alone, Juvia silently tending to Lucy's button-up and Lucy awkwardly searching for somewhere to train her eyes. Juvia seemed comfortable with the silence, too absorbed in her task to notice Lucy's discomfort. This was a different girl than the one fawning over Gray at the lunch table. When the descendant of Frost was removed from the picture, the girl became rather focused and serious. Lucy wondered what it was about Gray Fullbuster that drove this quiet girl into such a frenzy.

"Next period is Class Magic. Does Lucy-san know which class of SH she is?"

Lucy thought back to the hours she'd spent studying SuperHumans the day before. There were three major classes that SH's fell into. The first was Power Class. SuperHumans from this class had abilities that translated into brute strength, like Natsu's fire or Gray's ice. The second was Deception Class. SuperHumans from this class had powers that could be used to deceive others, like transformation or illusion magic. Levy had said that Pixies belonged to this class. The final class was Influence Class. SH's from this class had powers that could be used to manipulate people, like mind control or seduction magic.

"Influence Class," Lucy murmured. "I'm Influence Class." Juvia nodded.

"That's what Juvia thought. She knows that you specialize in Seduction Magic."

Lucy spluttered. It was only the first day of school, and Juvia could see straight through her. Lucy's face heated, and she stammered denials. She was worried that Juvia could tell she was a succubus- that Juvia might judge her for being something she'd never asked to be in the first place.

"Don't worry," Juvia said, interrupting her stuttering. "Juvia will not pry. She just knows how to recognize one of her own."

"One of your own," Lucy asked, breath catching. Was Juvia a succubus?

"Juvia specializes in Seduction Magic as well. It wasn't until very recently that she learned to accept her Siren heritage."

 _Siren?_ Lucy thought back to stories of hauntingly beautiful creatures, half woman and half fish, that lured sailors to their deaths. Sirens had voices beautiful enough to drive men insane with want. They'd forget their wives and lovers after a mere few notes. With a single song, Juvia could persuade people to die for her. Such power must be a heavy weight.

"Juvia sees Lucy-san's struggle because it must be similar to her own. She hopes that Lucy is not too hard on herself. No one can control what they are. And there is absolutely no inherently bad SuperHuman. We are all different," Juvia reassured, throwing the glob of crimson-stained paper towels in the trash. Lucy smiled.

"Thank you. I needed to hear that." Juvia returned Lucy's smile.

"Lucy-san is welcome. In exchange for Juvia's wisdom, you must make her a promise."

"What," Lucy asked cautiously.

"Love rival must not use her powers on Juvia's beloved Gray-sama."

"I would never," Lucy stammered indignantly. "I'm not interested in Gray! Besides, I don't even know how to use any of my powers."

"Juvia is sure love rival will figure it out soon," Juvia replied loftily. Before Lucy could refute her claim, Mira burst into the room.

"I have the spare shirt! Quickly, quickly. Class started five minutes ago."

* * *

Lucy walked into class late for the second time that day, but at least Juvia was with her now. The teacher was still out of the room, so they went to immediately sit down. She followed Juvia to sit in the back of the class next to Gajeel, silently analyzing the sea of faces as she went. The room was more like an enormous lecture hall than a high school classroom, the seats rising up as they went further back. In the crowd of people she recognized Evergreen, Elfman's girlfriend, sitting off the side. But what made Lucy's feet falter was the couple that sat a few seats down from Gajeel- _Sting and Minerva._

Lucy felt Juvia stiffen beside her, surely having spotted the pair as well. Juvia flashed Lucy a worried look, silently asking if Lucy was okay. Lucy gave a jerky nod and kept walking. She could handle being publicly embarrassed by someone, but she could not handle the very thought of someone thinking they had power over her. Lucy only had just escaped her father's judgement- she was not about to allow a new tyrant to take over her life. Especially not some hotshot trying to defend her title of "Queen Bitch" by scaring Lucy into submission.

They sat down, neither looking Minerva's way. Lucy could feel the girl's dark eyes on her, though. Minerva was sizing Lucy up, obviously shocked that she would come within a ten-foot radius after the incident in the lunchroom. Annoyed at Minerva's intent gaze, Lucy flashed her eyes back with a scowl. Minerva chuckled in amusement the same way one would laugh at a kitten that thought itself ferocious.

"You sure clean up well," Minerva murmured with dry humor. Lucy's scowl deepened.

"If someone hadn't been so 'clumsy', I wouldn't have had to clean up at all," she bit out. Minerva laughed.

"Accidents are always so _unfortunate._ " Lucy's eyes narrowed, analyzing Minerva's appearance.

"I agree. It looks like your bookbag had an accident on the way to class. Did you run into Erza?" Minerva grit her teeth, eyes deadly.

"Why you-"

"Attention, students! Silence," their instructor called out as she entered the room, pink hair slicked into a tight bun. "I'm Professor Porlyusica, and I'll be your Influence Class Magic teacher. This year you'll be learning how to hone your powers and put them to good use. Since it's only the first day, we're going to start with a simple spell that can be used to detect lying."

Lucy heard people scoff in amusement at the notion. Words like _seriously dumb_ and _child's play_ were tossed around. She looked over to see Juvia staring blankly at a wall, clearly bored, and Gajeel rolling his eyes. Lucy was astonished that something she'd never thought possible was laughably simple to those around her.

"I'm guessing that the majority of you have likely dabbled in Aura spells before. Do I have any brave volunteers that would like to tell the class about them? Not all at once, now."

"Aura spells are incantations that allow you to see a person's emotional state," someone called out. "Their feelings will look like flashes of color hovering above their skin."

"Adequate," Porlyusica murmured. "Anything else?"

"All SH's can use aura spells, but some are way better than others," a student in the front said.

"An aura spell lasts for about an hour at a time."

"To use the spell, you chant 'Cor Tuum Videri' three times!"

"Okay," Porlyusica continued. "Here's a trickier question: Can anybody tell me what that incantation means?"

The entire room sat in awkward silence, no one volunteering an answer. Porlyusica raised a skeptical eyebrow at her students, not dropping the question. When the quiet became too much to bear, Lucy cleared her throat. She knew the answer- she hadn't been president of the Latin Club for nothing, after all. All eyes looked at her, and she could feel her face heating up.

"Um," she stammered. "That phrase is Latin. It means 'Let thy heart be seen '. I think?"

"Spot on," the professor said with a small smile, looking somewhat impressed. "Like most spells, the Aura incantation is in Latin. While this Aura incantation is very simple, it's incredibly important. Many spells and glamours build on Aura, so you need to have a sturdy foundation. Today I want you all to practice this spell and get to know each other. I will list the colors and their meanings on the board. Feel free to write it down in a notebook."

As Professor Porlyusica turned to the board, the room filled with chatter. Lucy pulled out a composition book and scooted closer to Juvia. Gajeel huffed and begrudgingly turned to face the two, crossing his arms. Juvia was the first to murmur the spell, and Gajeel grumbled the words soon after. Hesitantly, Lucy began to chant the Latin phrase.

"Cor Tuum Videri. Cor Tuum Videri. Cor Tuum Videri-"

Lucy cut off with a gasp as the world burst into color. Intense rays of chroma bounced off everyone's skin, vivid and bright. She feasted her eyes upon flashes of light from all parts of the spectrum. Most people's emotions settled around them in a gentle haze, but some of them- probably the more intense feelings- shot out into the room like fireworks. Lucy turned to express her amazement to Juvia when she noticed that the Siren was preoccupied with her phone. She was on Instagram, swiping through all of Gray's recent pictures (of course). Juvia paused upon seeing that he'd posted a photo of _her._ They'd been on a group outing the week before, and he'd snapped a picture of her scooping handfuls of water at the park fountain when she'd been too busy playing to notice. His only caption was, "Today was a good day."

The entire room gasped and spun to look at her when her aura began to _sparkle._ The air around her warmed and shimmered, catching the light in one of the most beautiful displays Lucy had ever seen. _Whoa._ Still wrapped up in the picture, Juvia grinned wide and spun around in her seat. If possible, her aura grew even brighter. The glimmering air surrounding her could only mean love. Lucy darted her eyes to the board to confirm her suspicions. Indeed, love's aura had been classified by the no-nonse teacher as 'reflective light'. She should have known that Porlyusica wouldn't describe an aura as sparkly. Juvia only noticed the room-full of curious eyes when Gajeel groaned and muttered something about being "fuckin' ostentatious". Juvia gave an embarrassed squeak before hastily shoving her phone back in her bag, her aura turning a wispy lavender. _Embarrassment._

"Juvia apologizes," she murmured to a stunned Lucy. "She got… distracted."

"Um," Lucy stammered. "It's fine. Just- wow. That was crazy."

"I thought I was in a J.J. Abrams movie," Gajeel muttered.

"Anyways," Juvia said anxiously, trying to change the subject. "Is Lucy-san going to attend the party on Friday night?"

"Party," Lucy repeated, confused. "What party?"

"It's a Homecoming party," Juvia explained happily. "MiraJane-san always throws one the first Friday after the new school year, and everyone is invited. There is music, food, and other festivities like Truth or Dare! Juvia hopes that someone dares Gray-sama to kiss her-"

"It's not like the bastard would have the guts to go through with it," Gajeel interrupted. "Take it from me, Blondie. The party's lame. I'm not even gonna go."

Suddenly the aura surrounding Gajeel gave a sudden flash of black, nearly startling Lucy out of her seat. Gajeel's face reddened, and he crossed his arms in defense. Juvia gave him a wide smile, trying to hold black her laughter. Lucy only watched the exchange in confusion.

"What was that?"

"Gajeel-kun just told a lie," Juvia snickered. "When people are dishonest, their auras turn black. Small lies are just a flash, but big ones tend to stain someone's aura until they tell the truth."

"So the party isn't lame," Lucy asked, confused. Gajeel grit his teeth.

"Of course it is!" His aura flashed black again.

"The party is fun," Juvia promised. "Lucy-san should come. As long as she doesn't try to woo Juvia's Gray-sama."

"I'm not into Gray," Lucy half-yelled, embarrassed. Juvia must've been satisfied with Lucy's aura, because she gave a small smile and dropped the issue. They continued making small talk until class ended, Gajeel tossing in smart-ass remarks every now and then. When the final bell rang Juvia dashed to the hallway, backpack unzipped and arms full of books. The girl looked incredibly eager, and Lucy wondered what she was so excited for. The answer soon became apparent.

Juvia was standing outside the door across the hall, practically bouncing up and down in joy. Her aura, already gleaming, flashed in rays of glistening gold and blinding silver when Gray stepped through the doorway. Everyone from Lucy's class paused to admire it, more beautiful and more entrancing than any fireworks display. But what drew Lucy's eye was the black vignette that permeated the edges of Gray's aura. _What kind of lie could possibly do that?_

"Gray-sama," Juvia called cheerfully. "Juvia came to walk home with you. Is this okay?"

"Whatever," he mumbled, cheeks red. "It's annoying, but suit yourself."

Lucy almost gasped as his aura grew darker, the sinister black that hung in the space around him deepening. The contrast in their auras was stark and alarming. Juvia's aura was so light and pretty, illuminating her, while Gray's aura was dark and threatening- a black hole looming over his very existence. It almost looked like it would swallow him whole. But when Juvia grew closer, their auras seemed to mesh and blend into a grey area that hovered between them. It was rather akin to their relationship, this confusing grey area. It consisted of neither 'yes' nor 'no', right nor wrong, caring nor indifference. It was full of 'maybe's and platonic yearning.

A girl so completely honest and a boy that built his world out of lies like, "I don't need you." Somehow, they fit. Juvia latched onto Gray's arm, ignoring his protests and dragging him down the hall. Lucy could only watch in fascination. Despite the heavy stains on Gray's aura, Lucy thought that his years of lying to himself would do him no good. Because the way he looked at Juvia signaled that the two were on the precipice of _something._ It was just a matter of what.

"Um, Lucy? You zoning?"

Lucy's head snapped up in surprise. She met a pair of amused green-grey-golden eyes that sent these pesky feelings all the way down to her toes. Trying to collect herself, she gave a breathy, "Huh?"

"Wow, space cadet," he chuckled. "You really are a weirdo."

"Am not!"

"Just let me know when you're done gazing soulfully at Fullbuster," he snickered. Lucy stuttered, face reddening.

"Shut up! I was not _gazing_ at him. I was just distracted by his aura."

"Oh," Natsu said, face souring. "I've never been very good at those."

"Auras," Lucy asked, following Natsu down the hall. "How can you tell if you're good or bad?"

"The better you are at them, the brighter the colors are. Even when I focus really hard, I can't see them very well."

Lucy nodded, thinking back to how vivid the colors had been for her. Now that an hour had almost passed, the auras were starting to fade. If she focused someone's aura, it would become more saturated in color for a few seconds. But eventually it would blur again, melting with the air's natural transparency.

"So," Natsu began, interrupting her thoughts. "Is that all your class did today? Auras?"

"Yeah," Lucy nodded. "What did you do?"

"Hand-to-hand combat," Natsu grinned. Lucy gaped in disbelief.

"Seriously? You had to fight in class?"

"I totally won," Natsu boasted, stretching his arms and resting them behind his head. "Kicked Rogue's ass. He said he would've won if the moon was full, but even then I still doubt it."

"If the moon was full," Lucy repeated, trying to affirm the ideas that had already started spinning in her head.

"Werewolf," Natsu replied casually. _Of course there are werewolves._

"You really think you could beat a werewolf," Lucy asked, doubt seeping into her tone.

"I _know_ I could beat a werewolf. I mean, have you seen these," He asked confidently, flexing his arms in a show of bravado. Lucy couldn't help but laugh, rolling her eyes and shoving his (rock-solid. _Damn._ ) biceps out of her face. He kept on striking bodybuilder poses as they walked, so ridiculous and utterly Natsu. When they passed a mirror, she thought she saw her own aura give a faint shimmer as it caught the light just right. She squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head back and forth. When Lucy looked back up to see her reflection in the school's enormous trophy case, it was gone. No aura- and no sparkling. _Must've been a trick of the light._

* * *

 **Thank you, guys! Sorry again for the belated update. I'm hoping to get the next chapter finished by Wednesday next week, but ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯. Follow, favorite, and review. You know, the works. Tell me what truth (or dare) you'd like to see from which characters. The funniest/most interesting one will be in the next chapter. Until next time, XOXO. ~Mya**


	6. Hot in Here

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry the update took longer than usual. My life is seriously busy right now. This story has really been gaining in popularity! Reviews, Follows, and Favorites have pretty much doubled overnight. I'm so glad people are getting into this story. I'd like to thank my lovely beta, fairytailcelestialmage, for editing this chapter. It's so much better than it would've been without her. This is my longest chapter yet! I hope y'all enjoy it. :)**

* * *

Lucy was acting weird. This, of course, was nothing out of the normal. Natsu had only known her for a little more than a week, but he'd already deduced that Lucy Heartfilia was a weirdo. She was just so prim and proper- and entirely too bashful for a girl with curves so dangerous and lips so tantalizing. And the fact that she'd invaded his sleep every night for the past four days didn't exactly help any argument that she was at all normal.

When Natsu hit puberty, things had started getting weird. This, of course, sounds completely normal. But instead of acne and a growing discomfort with his own body, Natsu started having all of these weird dragon-puberty-symptoms. Like being able to tell if a girl was a virgin by the way she smelled (looks like those myths about sacrificing maidens weren't total bullshit). He developed a new timber in his voice that made it possible for him to growl. Like, literally growl as if he was a bear or something. But the weirdest would probably be the recurring nightmare he had where a dragon burned down Magnolia.

Every night he'd dream that he was supposed to slay the beast, and every morning he'd wake up right before he became the monster's dinner. Since meeting Lucy, however, the dreams had changed. He knew that his _role_ had changed. Never before had anyone been in his dreams except for the dragon and himself. But Lucy's appearance had made it clear that he wasn't merely a fighter. He was a defender. This infuriating girl that refused to leave his side gave him the feeling that he was supposed to protect her.

So, no. Lucy being a strange paradox in his little world wasn't something particularly unusual. But when she showed up to school on Friday, she was… different. Lucy was dazed during first period, with Natsu having to nudge her side during role call after the teacher called her name three times. It seemed like she was completely unable to focus, squirming around and fidgeting in her seat.

After this went on for a while, Natsu put a hand on her shoulder to get her attention. But, to his astonishment, she practically jumped out of her seat, looking way too flustered and embarrassed in response to such an innocent touch. She apologized soon after, although Natsu was positive that she did nothing wrong. Something was definitely bothering her- even if she didn't show it. He only hoped that she would be back to normal by lunch. But, of-fucking-course, she wasn't.

"Is Lucy okay," Gray whispered to Natsu, watching Lucy as she sat across the lunch table, looking totally zoned out, with her normally bright eyes hazy and food on her plate left untouched. Natsu looked grim, feeling uneasy about her abnormal demeanor.

"She's been like this all morning. I can't figure out what's wrong with her."

"I can hear you, you know…." she murmured from across the table, squeezing her eyes shut and then opening them before focusing her full attention on Natsu.

"I'm fine. Really," Lucy insisted, giving Natsu a smile that was a fraction too wide to be genuine. His eyes narrowed, looking down at her lunch tray.

"It's probably because you're not eating," he pointed out. Her eyes widened in a sort of realization.

"You're... You're _right_. That's why I'm- I should eat."

Gray and Natsu only grew more confused when, despite her apparent epiphany, she still didn't touch her food. Natsu sighed before leaning in closer and trying again.

"Um, Lucy? Am I gonna have to _feed_ you," he asked jokingly, poking her arm. He expected an eye roll or an indignant comeback, but- to his shock- she fell out of her seat. Like, literally.

Her face was bright red, and he could hear her heartbeat going a hundred miles an hour. Natsu clamored over and tried to help her up, but she quickly jumped up and gathered her stuff to leave.

"You and I, _we_ , couldn't- Not that I don't _want..._ I have to go. To the library. I'll see you guys at Mira's party. Bye."

And she was off. Natsu watched her go with his mouth open, no sound coming out. Suddenly, Gray burst out laughing, smirking at Natsu like he knew something Natsu didn't. Natsu growled, growing defensive.

"What's so funny, Ice Prick?"

"Nothing. You're just an idiot, that's all."

"Why you-"

"Boys," Erza said calmly as she sat down. "I do hope that you two aren't having a conflict I'd need to settle."

"Argh! I'm leaving. I've gotta see Macao about a special assignment," Natsu muttered, glowering in Gray's direction before leaving the table. Erza eyed his retreating figure with worry.

"What happened?"

"I think," Gray said with a grin. "That Natsu has a crush. And she might just be crazy enough to like him back."

* * *

 _No, no,_ no. _I cannot seriously consider having sex with Natsu._ Lucy paced back and forth in her room, trying to get her mind straight. She'd been hot and bothered all day, the feeling only intensifying when Natsu had joked about feeding her. If only he knew what he'd said so innocently meant to her.. And now the idea of the two of them ( _together_ ) was flooding her brain and driving her crazy- in more ways than one.

Lucy's skin was practically buzzing with the need to be touched, too heated and sensitive for her to properly function. Those brief, friendly touches from Natsu had felt entirely too good to be healthy. And the warmth building in her lower stomach had to be dangerous. These sensations were overwhelming and problematic and- Oh God, she's gonna be late for the party.

In a frenzy, Lucy called a taxi, seeing as the Strauss siblings lived all the way across town with their parents. She could barely sit still on the way there, her smile wide and eyes bright. But the excitement bubbling in her stomach soon turned to uneasiness when she saw the house. The large estate (mansion, really) held a striking resemblance to _her_ home. _It's not your home anymore, Lucy_ , she told herself. _You ran away._ She couldn't help the sick feeling that swirled in her gut as she approached the front door. She took a soothing breath before knocking, trying to calm herself down.

"Lucy," Mira cried as she opened the door. "I'm so glad you made it! Come on in, and- Are you wearing your school uniform?"

"Uh," Lucy stammered, embarrassed. "Yeah. I don't really have any other clothes."

The only clothes she packed when she ran away were jeans, t-shirts, and the single dress she'd worn to the fake Salamander's party- which was totally ruined after maneuvering through wet, dirty alleyways in it. Lucy avoided Mira's eyes, not wanting to see the pity there. Never before this moment had she felt ashamed in this way. In that moment, it dawned on her that she'd never had so few worldly possessions.

"You know," Mira began, voice warm and thoughtful. "I get so many clothes from my modeling jobs that I can hardly fit them in my closet anymore. I've been meaning to get rid of some, but all the thrift stores are so far away..."

"I couldn't possibly-" Lucy said, waving her hands back and forth.

"Please," Mira insisted. "You'd be doing _me_ a favor. Let's get you changed and enjoy this party!"

Mirajane grabbed Lucy's hand and pulled her along, waving to Erza from across the room. The three went up the stairs to Mira's room, closing the door behind them. Erza gave Mira a look of confusion as she tugged at Lucy's shirt before her eyes sparkled in realization.

"Are we," Erza asked, voice trembling in excitement. "Giving Lucy a _makeover_?"

"Yep," Mira replied, popping the 'p'. Erza squealed and ran into Mirajane's walk-in closet, undoubtedly eager to get her hands on Mira's pretty dresses. Lucy gave a surprised laugh.

"Erza looks excited."

"She loves fashion," Mira explained. "I swear her wardrobe is bigger than mine."

"What color," Erza called from somewhere in Mira's enormous closet.

"Um, pink," Lucy called back hesitantly.

Erza gave a sound of approval, emerging a few minutes later with armfuls of pink dresses. Lucy's eyes widened, having expected only two or three to choose from. Mira guided Lucy to the mirror while Erza held dress after dress up to Lucy's curvy frame.

When Erza began to pull the fifth dress away in exchange for the next, Lucy stopped her, entranced. The white polka dots, the halter straps and sweetheart neckline sent a rush of _deja vu_ ricocheting through her body. It looked like one of her mother's dresses- her mother's _favorite_ dress.

"Can I- Can I wear this one?"

"Of course," MiraJane said, pulling the dress off the hanger. "I'm surprised that you picked that dress; there are other ones that are flashier."

"It looks like one my mother used to wear," Lucy said absently, taking off her uniform and pulling the polka dot dress on. Erza swept aside Lucy's hair while Mira zipped the back up. Lucy anxiously squeezed her eyes shut, biting her bottom lip and praying that it zipped all the way.

As glorified as her boobs were, they usually prevented the clothes she liked from fitting. When Mira had the zipper pulled up to the top, Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. But when she opened her eyes, the breath was almost knocked out of her.

"Fits like a glove," Mira glowed, smoothing down a layer of tulle beneath the dress's flirty skirt. "I swear that dress was made for you."

In this dress, Lucy was the spitting image of her mother. And for the first time in a long while, she felt unbelievably beautiful. Erza pulled the clip from Lucy's hair, letting her tresses fall around her face in golden waves. Lucy's eyes stung, and she looked up in an attempt to keep the tears from spilling over.

"Are you okay," Mira gasped upon seeing Lucy's glassy eyes, worried.

"Yeah," Lucy reassured, nodding as she dabbed at her eyes. "Thank you."

After the tears were dried and Erza had (rather aggressively) coated Lucy's lashes with another layer of mascara, the girls descended the stairs to join the party. Lucy saw all of the curious glances that turned her way, along with whispers of "transfer", "new girl", "Who's _that_?". This time, however, being the center of attention didn't bother her. Parties and lovely dresses were her natural element, after all.

Mira pushed Lucy towards the kitchen with a sly smirk, telling her to fetch a drink and enjoy the table full of snacks. It was evident as soon as Lucy entered the kitchen, however, that food and beverage were not what Mira had really intended for Lucy to partake in. Natsu was leaned up against the counter with a Fanta in hand when their gazes met.

Her eyes roamed over him, taking in his distressed jeans and worn tennis shoes and the way he had the sleeves of his hoodie pushed up to his elbows. She was hypnotized by the tanned skin of his exposed forearms and the tendons that flexed just beneath the surface. He looked positively _scrumptious._ Her attention snapped back to reality when Natsu dropped his can of soda, drenching the kitchen floor and the bottoms of his jeans in orange liquid.

"Oh my gosh," Lucy gasped, grabbing a huge wad of napkins and rushing to help him clean up. Natsu stuttered an apology, dropping down on the floor to help her.

Lucy blushed at his proximity, feeling his body heat warm her skin. Flashes of her earlier fantasies ( _Not fantasies,_ Lucy told herself) clouded her mind, and she cursed the succubus hunger that was messing with her mind.

When the floor was clean and the napkins were soggy and heavy with liquid, Lucy looked up to say something to Natsu. Whatever it was that she'd wanted to say was forever forgotten, though.

Natsu's face was startlingly close to hers, and his _eyes._ Gods, they were just _so mesmerising_. They were making her bones feel like jello. He looked equally surprised to see their faces so near. But he didn't move away, and Lucy could've sworn his eyes trailed down to peek at her lips for the briefest of moments. Lucy's skin tingled where their noses brushed, sending blood rushing to her cheeks. Her hands fisted in her skirt, and she tried to physically restrain herself from acting on this foreign feeling. The buzzing in her skin and the curling of her toes could not be a good thing- not when it felt like her heart was about to jump out a plane without a parachute.

"Could the two of you please _try_ to get through this party without infecting everyone with your sexual tension," a gruff voice teased behind them. They whirled around to find Levy and Gajeel giving them shit-eating grins.

 _Traitors_ , Lucy scowled.

"We were just cleaning up a mess," Natsu defended, voice loud and face on fire. Gajeel snickered.

"I'm sure you two'll make all sorts of messes that need cleaning."

"Why you-" Natsu growled, gritting his teeth and swinging at Gajeel, who only ducked and escaped to the living room. Natsu followed after, looking to get a few punches in. Levy giggled.

"You two sure are getting close," she grinned. Lucy blushed.

"It's not what it looked like," Lucy pleaded.

"Well, that's good. Because it looked like you two were about to confess your love and run away to Crocus to elope."

"Levy," Lucy whined, face hot. "Can you please stop teasing! It's nothing like that."

"But it's so much fun," Levy laughed, poking Lucy's cheek. Lucy was about to huff a response when she heard an announcement from Mira carry through the house.

"Who's ready for some TRUTH OR DARE?"

Cheers resounded through the halls in response, everybody rushing to join in. However, Lucy felt her stomach drop- and with good reason. Mira's games were said to be extremely risqué at times. And in her current state, only God could help her.

* * *

"Here at FAEA, we make everything a competition," Mira began, giving her usual pre-game speech. "Even Truth or Dare. And there can only be one winner for this game. Last year's winner, raise your hand."

Natsu rolled his eyes as Meredy waved her hand in the air, beaming with pride. The girl was an empath, able to feel others' emotions and even link herself to people. He was convinced that she cheated last year- no way would he have been beaten otherwise. Meredy insisted that using your powers wasn't against the rules, but Natsu still wasn't convinced.

"So, here are the rules: One. People are chosen by spinning this bottle," Mira said, lifting an empty bottle of Corona (courtesy of Cana). "Two. If you decline a dare, you're out. Three. If you lie when you're supposed to tell the truth, you're out. Four. You cannot dare someone to do anything that might physically harm them. Last man or woman standing is the winner, and the winner gets a prize. Any questions?"

"What's the prize," Gray called out, trying to decide if the game was worth the effort.

"Thirty 'Get Out of Jail Free' cards," Mira smirked, lifting a stack of hallpasses she'd swiped from Makarov's office. Gray gave a low whistle of appreciation, everyone in the room erupting into chatter.

"Now," Mira said, moving to sit in the circle. "Everyone incant your aura spell, and I'll start."

Natsu huffed before doing as Mira said, frustrated with the whole thing. He sucked at aura, and would much rather be off wrestling Elfman than playing this stupid game. All he saw after the spell took effect was a hazy blur of color. Like a lava lamp, the colors were constantly morphing and shifting, making his head dizzy. He could already feel a damned migraine coming on. He spent the next ten minutes staring at the wall while people around him were given stupid dares and asked stupid questions.

Max was dared to make out with Ultear's broom (he got a little too into it), and Erza was dared to perform a scene from Romeo & Juliet (she got stage fright and dropped out). Everyone found out that Rogue had apparently woken up naked on the lawn after every Change for the first year he'd been a werewolf and that Laxus was in love with Mira for two years before they actually started dating. BO-RING.

"Cana," Laxus said, crossing his arms. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth," Cana shrugged, taking chug of her whiskey.

"What were you and Bacchus doing during Junior prom," He said with a smirk, thinking he'd gotten her. But Cana is essentially impossible to embarrass.

"A better question would be 'What _didn't_ we do'," Cana said with a smirk. And, to spite Laxus, she continued to go into such explicit detail about her night that three people forfeited the game in order to escape. Natsu looked over to see Lucy blushing a furious red, but she didn't leave. He grinned. That girl was secretly tough as nails, even though she looked like the damsel-in-distress type.

"And the next victim is…" The bottle slowed before landing on Levy. Cana grinned. "Levs, truth or dare?"

"Truth," Levy blurted out, fearful of what kind of dare Cana would give her.

"Did you read Fifty Shades of Grey," Cana asked, already knowing the answer.

"I… Fine! Y-Yes. I did," Levy said, covering her red face with her hands. Gajeel gave a sort of amusement.

"So that's why you wanted me to-"

"Shut up," Levy shrieked, grabbing the bottle and giving it a wicked spin. It spun out of control before finally landing on Lucy. The girl gulped, looking terrified.

"Lu-chan," Levy said, and evil grin spreading her lips. "Truth or dare?"

"Um," Lucy squirmed, looking ridiculously cute. ( _Stop calling her cute,_ Natsu scolded himself.) "Truth?"

"How many boys have you kissed?"

Natsu watched as Lucy completely blanched, her face going blank. Jesus Christ, Levy had broken her. He thought back to the one girl he'd kissed before. They'd broken up Sophomore year when she'd decided to study abroad in Edolas for the rest of high school. He hadn't thought about her in a while. Natsu wondered how she was doing as he munched on a bowl of chips. Maybe he should ask Mira? He focused his attention back on Lucy where she sat, still frozen. _It's not **that** hard a question, is it?_

"I- I don't know," she admitted, looking horribly embarrassed. Natsu choked on his snack while Cana gave a hearty laugh.

"Wow," Cana drawled. "That many?"

"No," Lucy yelled in defense, face flushed and eyes panicked. "I worked at a kissing booth once, and it was pretty popular. But my shift wasn't even that long! One of the guys I kissed passed out, and-"

"Passed out," Levy cried, alarmed. Gajeel only snickered.

"Your breath must've been awful," Natsu teased, enjoying the way her face almost glowed with embarrassment.

"Was not! My breath smells _fine_ ," She grit out. Natsu scrunched his nose in mock disgust.

"Don't open your mouth so wide. I can smell it from here," he joked, relishing how much he was irritating her. She growled (yes, actually growled) before swiping the Corona into a vicious spiral, done with his teasing.

"Meredy," Lucy said, still irked from Natsu's teasing. "Truth or Dare?"

"Dare," Meredy said confidently. That was, until she caught a hint of the emotion building up in Lucy. The grin on Meredy's face dropped, and Natsu heard Meredy's heartbeat speed up in fear of what Lucy would dare her to do. It soon enough became evident to the entire room that the blonde was out for blood.

"I dare you to link yourself to Juvia. _For the rest of the game_."

Natsu scrunched a brow, confused, while everyone around him gasped in terror. Juvia sat with her arms crossed, looking slightly offended. And Meredy was absolutely petrified. _What was the big deal?_

"You- You can't do this to me," Meredy cried.

"Hey," Juvia huffed. "This isn't very nice."

"Why's Meredy freaking out," He leaned over to ask Ultear, who was watching the whole ordeal with a smug grin.

"Juvia feels everything really strongly- you can tell just by reading her aura. When Meredy links up to someone, she feels all of their emotions in addition to her own. Staying linked to Juvia would be emotionally exhausting for anybody, especially if-"

Ultear cut off, trailing her eyes over to Gray. But Natsu got the point. As dense as he could be at times, he still picked up on the ridiculous crush that Juvia had on his best friend.

If Juvia was even half as into Gray as she appeared, Meredy would be in for a pretty interesting night. And it didn't help that Meredy still had some residual fear of Juvia from the brawl they got into Freshman year. Meredy had talked shit about Gray, and Juvia hadn't liked it one bit. One prompt ass-kicking later, Juvia had established herself as someone to be taken seriously. And no one dared speak ill of Gray again- except Natsu and Gajeel, that is.

"Link up. Now," Lucy said, voice threatening. "Or are you backing out?"

Steeling herself, Meredy stretched her wrist out and chanted a spell. Juvia hissed as a rune circled her wrist, scorching a temporary mark onto her skin. After the spell had done its work, Juvia gave Meredy a challenging look before pinching herself on the arm. Meredy squawked, rubbing her arm even though no sign of injury was there. She scowled at Juvia's humored expression before flicking her own nose, reminding Juvia that the link worked both ways.

Annoyed, Meredy spun the bottle. It spun around before landing on Natsu. _Finally._ He rubbed his hands together, already knowing what his choice would be. Hopefully he'd get to do something crazy and exciting so he could escape this endless boredom.

"Dare," He said eagerly, not even waiting for Meredy to pop the question.

"I dare you to… Massage my shoulders," Meredy said with a knowing grin. Natsu groaned in frustration. Meredy could read him way too well. That was how everyone had gotten him to drop the game last year- one boring-ass dare after another.

He moved to give Meredy a shoulder massage, huffing and puffing the whole time. Meredy sighed, stretching her neck. There was a reason she'd chosen a massage as her boring dare, after all. Natsu was known for awesome massages, due to his hands being so warm and strong. But, by God, you'd have to have some sort of leverage or dirt on him to get one. The only one who got massages regularly was Erza (with the help of a few death threats). As he worked his magic, Juvia sighed from across the room, feeling Natsu's massage through Meredy's link.

"Wow," she hummed, rolling her shoulders. "Natsu-san _is_ good at these."

"I think that's enough," Gray cut in, face red and eyes so obviously filled with jealousy. "You're holding up the game."

Natsu shrugged before going to spin the bottle. It slowed, and for a moment it looked like it would land on Gajeel. Natsu grinned, wanting to give that motherfucker the craziest dare he could muster. But the bottle moved just a fraction more and wound up on Gray. _Even better._

"Truth or dare, ice tits?"

"Dare," Gray growled, clearly not appreciating the nickname.

Natsu thought of all the potential dares he could give Gray, cycling through them in his head and holding on to the best ideas. It would have to embarrass the hell out of Gray (for Natsu's own personal pleasure), but it should also be something that affected the other players. Natsu aimed to win, after all. When the idea finally came to him, he gave an evil cackle, effectively making everyone in the room worry about Gray's fate. If this dare didn't make Gray forfeit, it would definitely make Meredy quit. Ah, revenge was sweet.

"I dare you to do a strip tease. _For Juvia._ "

Gray gaped at him while Cana and Mirajane hunched over, clutching their stomachs from laughing too hard. Juvia looked like she'd just been handed a basket of puppies, and she looked at Natsu grateful eyes. He gave her a conspiratorial wink, and his grin only widened when he caught Lucy chuckling out of the corner of his eye. Meredy gaped at him, in a state of shock from the way things were turning out.

"So, Frostbite, are you just gonna sit there or-"

Natsu was interrupted when Gray's jacket smacked him in the face, having been flung passive aggressively in his direction. Everyone in the room (except Meredy) cheered, and Mira ran up to play music on her sound system. A low, heady beat filled the room, making the speakers tremble with the bass and the lamp shades rattle from the vibrations. Cana moved a chair to the front of the room, moving Juvia to sit down on it. Before stepping up to tackle his dare, Gray turned back to Natsu.

"I will _destroy_ you for this."

"Shut up, and shake that ass," Natsu smirked, shoving him towards Juvia.

Juvia gulped as Gray started moving to the rhythm, gripping the fabric of her skirt for dear life. The girl looked like she was already about to pass out. Gray's confidence seemed to inflate upon seeing that Juvia looked positively overwhelmed. He made his way over to her, and Natsu had an errant thought about Gray being a surprisingly good dancer. When Gray was close enough to touch, he looked Juvia dead in the eye and smirked.

* * *

 _Oh, goodness._ Juvia had ascended to heaven. That was it. She'd been a good girl (a _very_ good girl, apparently), and this was her reward. Because there was no way this was real life. Only her wildest fantasies involved Gray getting naked for her. And only the kinkiest of those fantasies featured him giving her such a sinfully erotic look. Yes, this was nirvana. Only the burning sensation that seared her cheeks and the too-loud screams of her friends assured her that this was indeed happening.

Slowly, he reached for the back of his collar, pulled his t-shirt up inch by devastating inch. The taut skin that stretches over his abs made itself known, and Juvia felt a foreign heat pool in her stomach. This was dangerous. Juvia couldn't handle this. _Was it always so damned hot in here?_

" _AGH_ ," Meredy cried across the room, obviously hit by Juvia's emotions. She clutched her chest, trying to get the frantic beating of her heart and the fire in her cheeks under control. Meredy turned away from the scene, hoping it would weaken her and Juvia's emotional connection. But when she heard the telltale clink of Gray's belt, she knew all was lost.

"I give-"

Meredy cut off as a sort of haze crossed her face. And suddenly she was sprawled on floor, unconscious. Everyone freaked out, Ultear screaming for a medic, before realizing that Juvia was in a similar state. Gray was trying to shake Juvia awake, but she stayed in a blissful state of unconsciousness. At least she looked happy? Natsu felt a stab of pride. _Two birds with one stone._

"Must've been an emotional overload," Mira said logically. Elfman picked the poor empath up, setting her down on the empty couch to recover. Gray followed suit, moving Juvia with a pitying look on his face.

"Juvia really wanted those hallpasses," Gray sighed. When he turned back to see Natsu giving that smug-ass grin, his resolve hardened. He would avenge Juvia.

Gray spun the bottle, praying that it would land on Natsu so he could make him pay. The dragon escaped Gray's wrath, unfortunately, when the bottle landed on someone else. Or did he? Gray took in the golden hair and wide brown eyes of his victim and thought that he still might have a chance to embarrass Natsu yet.

"Lucy," Gray said, expression cold and calculating. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare," Lucy half-asked, voice questioning. Her last truth had been so embarrassing that she probably figured a dare couldn't be any worse. Oh, how wrong she was. _Vengeance is sweet,_ Gray thought maliciously.

"I dare you to," Gray paused, pretending that he had to think about what the poor blonde would have to do. But he had known the instant the bottle had chosen her. He almost felt bad for her, seeing as how Natsu was a total moron. But who knows? She might even like it. An evil smile spread across his face as he sentenced Lucy to her doom.

"I dare you to kiss _Natsu_."

* * *

 **Thank you for reading! The idea for a strip tease from Gray came from a guest (you know who you are). I literally did the ugliest laugh-snort-thing when I read that comment. Thank you a million times over to everyone who reviewed. You guys are all so positive and awesome. I look forward to reading the reviews for this chapter. (The ending was a little evil, I know.) Until next time!**

 **XOXO,**

 **Mya.**


	7. Knock Your Socks Off

**Hey guys! So sorry for the late update (and for leaving you in such suspense). Just moved to a new apartment and UGH. Unpacking= Utter misery. Anyways, thank you guys so much for all the reviews and follows and favorites! This story has, like, exploded in the last few chapters! I got so many reviews for the last chapter that I couldn't respond to them individually. But I read every single one, and I seriously love you guys for writing them.**

 **Kairrie asked where I got the inspiration for this story. It was actually from a tumblr prompt. It was "I just got turned into a succubus and I'm like the least smooth and most self-conscious person on the planet so I'm literally starving because I don't know how to seduce people." I immediately thought of all of Lucy's failed seduction attempts, and soon enough the idea weaved its way into a full-blown story. Needless to say, I ran with it. For any aspiring writers that are in need of story inspiration, tumblr prompts are seriously awesome.**

 **I'm so glad you guys have enjoyed it so far, and I hope you continue to enjoy it! This chapter may excite some of you. ;)**

* * *

" _What_ ," Natsu burst out, eyes disbelieving. "You can't be serious."

"I'm dead serious," Gray said, his eyes trained on Lucy. "You take the dare, or you're out."

Lucy made no response, her mind a whirlwind. Kissing Natsu? She couldn't deny that it sounded… _good_. The succubus side of her was starving. She'd been skittish all day due to her hunger, unable to focus or keep herself from fantasizing about a certain pink-haired SH. And now Gray had just handed her the perfect excuse to inspect that sailor's mouth for herself…

"I'll do it," Lucy murmured, voice dazed. She didn't realize the words had slipped out until everyone looked at her with startled eyes. And Natsu? His jaw had literally dropped. The heat that had been pooling in her stomach all day gradually made its way to her face. _Dear Lord._ Why in the hell did she say that out loud?

"I mean," Lucy stuttered, blushing furiously. Could Natsu hear her heart going out of control? Damn, he probably could. "If it's a dare and- You know what? Maybe, I mean, that actually probably isn't-"

"Sure," Natsu interrupted, Lucy's averted eyes snapping to his face. "I'm not afraid of a stupid dare," he insisted, although his crimson cheeks suggested otherwise.

"Yeah," Lucy agreed, pulse racing. "It's just a dare."

Mira narrowed her eyes, and Lucy knew that something about her own aura must've given her away. The others didn't seem to notice, too wrapped up in the hilarity of the situation to pay attention to the storm of colors that were most likely going out of control in Lucy's aura.

"Kissing is MANLY," Elfman encouraged, clapping Natsu on the back and shoving him in Lucy's direction. Cana gave a drunken cheer, and soon enough the entire room was hollering and egging them on.

Natsu moved even closer, his fingertips brushing hers on the floor. She knew he could hear her heart beating a hundred miles an hour- he could hear her whisper at a crowded party from a hundred yards away, for God's sake. But it was different this time because it was a direct result of her preparing to kiss him. She was about to kiss Natsu.

"We don't have to if you don't wanna," he whispered, his lips so close they brushed hers as he spoke. She shivered.

"I," she paused, her brain unable to churn out a few basic words. _I want to._ "I'm fine with it."

Not one to bother with unnecessary words, Natsu wasted no time leaning forward to kiss her. Lucy panicked, trying to remember how to breathe- let alone how to kiss. The guys at the kissing booth had thought she was pretty good at it. But the guys at the kissing booth hadn't made her so damned _nervous_!

Her mind was in a million places at once, wondering if their torsos were too far apart and if she should do something with her hands. She was distraught, wondering how his lips could possibly be so warm and mind-numbing. Why was kissing Natsu so hard?

All too soon, he moved to pull away. It had only been about three seconds. A lingering peck- enough to satisfy the room of spectators. But not enough to satisfy Lucy.

The thought of those lips leaving hers ignited a spark in her gut. Before he could get too far away, she cupped his jaw to bring him back in closer. Brain finally kicking into gear, she relaxed her mouth and swept her tongue across his lower lip. _That was what the kissing booth guy liked, right?_ She tried to work out some sort of strategy, attempting to make this kiss a good one. But all thought flew out the window when Natsu responded in like, sliding his tongue against hers and putting a hand on her waist.

Something warm and molten seeped into her bones, and this unbearable, tingly feeling sent her nerves into a frenzy. Lucy moaned against his mouth, the vibration only intensifying the buzz in her lips. She weaved her fingers up into his hair, tugging at it and making him groan. They got even closer, somehow, but it still wasn't enough. She needed it. Him, his body, these feelings. All of it. _More. Now._

She was all over him. In the back of her mind, she knew that the succubus had taken over. But she couldn't bring herself to give a damn. It felt too _good_. Finally giving in and letting herself have something she wanted for once in her life. And Gods, she wanted Natsu. She wanted to have him served up to her on a silver platter, dressed in the same haze of lust that had taken a hold over her mind. But the whimpering sound Natsu made as her knuckles brushed the skin of his lower abdomen cut through the fog that had clouded her mind.

Lucy jerked back to find herself clenching Natsu's belt as if she were about to rip the damned thing off. She tore her hand away, shame flooding her body- but, unfortunately, not quite enough of it to overpower her persistent arousal. The pulse between her thighs was distracting, and her hunger threatened to take control again.

Lucy abruptly wrenched herself away from Natsu, realizing that a room full of shocked bystanders were watching. Even Cana looked aghast, jaw dropped after having witnessed such a passionate display. Lucy looked back at Natsu, mouth open to stutter an apology or attempt an awkward joke to diffuse the situation. But he was just staring at her with these rosy cheeks that were surprisingly becoming on him. His eyes were wide and still lidded from the haze her kisses had cast over him, and he was biting his lip in a charming way that made her want to bite it for him.

No words would come out of Lucy's mouth, and she could feel herself getting turned on again, despite the uncomfortable circumstances. She had to leave. Now. Without a word, Lucy ran out, leaving behind the group of stunned partygoers. And an even more stunned kiss-attack victim.

"So does that mean she forfeits," Gajeel wondered aloud, being the first one to formulate words after that shocking spectacle. He hissed when Levy rammed her elbow into his ribs, telling him that this wasn't the time without saying a word.

"I was just asking!"

* * *

So, Lucy was kind of a good kisser. Like, a knock-your-socks-off, the-world-will-never be-the-same kind of kisser. It was pretty fair to say that Natsu's mind had been effectively blown for several long moments after the deed had been done. Natsu could totally understand why one of the guys she kissed had passed out because _damn_. His mouth still had this weird, tingly feeling even after she'd left.

But once the fog had lifted from his distracted brain, he realized that this new friendship they had established was now on shaky ground.

Two hours later, he found himself staring at her front door and trying to make himself knock. In theory, all he had to do was lift his hand and pound on the door. But his arm felt like it was made of lead, and his throat was closed up with anxiety. This should be easy. All he was doing was knocking on a pretty girl's door super late at night and praying she wasn't mad at him.

Yeah. Easy.

He shuffled the box he was holding over to one side, preparing to knock. But, by sheer coincidence, the door swung open at that very moment. Lucy was standing there in her sweats, her hair in a ponytail and her left hand clenching the tie on her trash bag. She gaped at him, almost looking like she was going to wipe her eyes to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

Ugh. _Only Lucy would still look hot in her stupid pajamas._ Natsu, who had prepared an entire speech about how the kiss was a stupid dare that shouldn't make things weird between them, also stood in awkward silence. His mind was a total mess, caught up in how good she always looked and the way he now knew her lips tasted (like strawberry lip gloss).

"Um. Hi," Lucy said, voice wavering. "What… are you doing here?"

"I- That is," Natsu stammered, feeling incredibly stupid. _This was a dumb idea_ , he thought. He started backing away, preparing to head down the stairs and run all the way home in his embarrassment.

"It's almost midnight. Sorry, I should've just waited-"

"What's that? In the box," Lucy interrupted, eyes curious.

"Um, comic books. You said that you liked X-Men, right? The night we met? I just threw some in a box along to let you borrow. And I won these," he rambled, pulling Mira's prized hallpasses out of his pocket. Lucy's eyes widened, and she gasped.

"You won truth or dare? Really?"

"I, uh," he blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I kinda went ham to get these for you."

Lucy's eyes softened, and the smile she gave him nearly knocked the breath out of his lungs. Without a word, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a hug. Warm, fuzzy feelings that he hadn't had in a very long time spread through his chest. He wrapped his free arm around her back, returning the sentiment. Gods, she was soft.

"So… we're still friends," he asked, voice unsure. She nodded, her silky hair tickling his jawline. When she pulled away, her eyes were glassy. Worried, Natsu opened his mouth to ask if she was okay. But she gave him a huge grin that looked like light peaking through grey clouds. As if she herself wasn't already a ray of sunshine in Natsu's world.

"Do you wanna come in? Makarov just gave me a laptop for school, so we could watch _Days of Future Past_ online, or something. Unless you don't want to, I guess. It's okay either-"

"That sounds awesome," Natsu grinned, cutting her off. "But we have to order pizza."

"Well, duh," Lucy snorted, swinging the door open wide enough for him to walk through. "I wouldn't dare imagine that I could invite you in without feeding you."

"I knew you were smart," Natsu laughed, crossing the threshold. "Speaking of which, have you eaten? You seem more focused than earlier."

"I… I guess you could say that. I am feeling better. Still hungry, but better."

"Good," Natsu smiled. "Eating regularly is important, you know."

"Not everyone can feed themselves every couple hours like you," Lucy joked, shifting the attention away from her own eating habits. Natsu let it slide, not wanting to make her uncomfortable after they'd just escaped the awkwardness of The Kissing Incident.

"So," Lucy continued, analytical eyes assessing him. "Are _you_ feeling… okay? Not woozy or anything?"

"No," Natsu said, confused. "Should I be?"

"Honestly, I don't know," Lucy sighed, not clarifying any further.

"Gods, you're weird," Natsu joked, walking into her living room. It was pretty barren, occupied by nothing except the standard furniture that comes with the rental.

" _You're_ the weird one," Lucy accused, pouting at the his teasing. "I'm not the one school lunch ladies quiver in fear of."

"You're just jealous," Natsu teased, setting the box of comics down on her coffee table and flopping down on her sofa. "It takes years to hone this kind of skill."

"I guess my skills lie elsewhere," Lucy laughed.

It was a completely innocent statement, but it instantly sent Natsu's mind back to the memory of her lips sliding against his. As if on queue, his face burst into flames and the room heated up about a thousand degrees. Lucy, perceptive as she was, seemed to guess exactly where his head was. Her eyes widened like a deer in the headlights, and the two were now drowning in a sea of awkward silence.

" _I'llorderthepizza_ ," Natsu rushed to say before diving for the phone.

" _GoodideaI'llfindthemovie_ ," Lucy blurted in response, scurrying out of the room in search of her laptop.

Yeah, avoidance was a useful skill of theirs as well. They'd soon find that skirting around any mention of their budding sexual attraction was the only way they could properly function in this relationship.

* * *

The world was on fire. _Again_. Gods, this dream was getting monotonous. After several days of dreaming up a dragon burning the city down, Lucy was almost bored with the whole thing. _Rawr! I'm a dragon, and I'm gonna eat you._ Then Natsu will pop up out of nowhere being all, _I'm here to save you with my trusty sword, Lucy!_

Blah blah blah.

It always went down exactly the same way. When the dragon landed in front of her this time, she just gave it a bored stare, lifting an apathetic eyebrow when it snapped its teeth inches from her face. _Ooh_ , she thought sarcastically. _Scary_.

"Lucy! I'm coming!"

"Nah, it's fine," Lucy called back, tone impossibly blaisé for the circumstances. Oh well. Her day had been exhausting enough. Dreams should be a place of refuge, not stress. She was done playing whatever role had been thrust upon her in this dire scenario. When Natsu rounded the corner and gaped when saw her casually sitting crisscross in front of a feral dragon.

" _What are you doing_ ," He all but screamed, running to her side and yanking on her arm.

"Sitting! It's just a dream," she groaned, yanking her arm back. "It's not even real."

"B-but," Natsu gawked, like she'd just stomped all over the world as he knew it. "I have to slay the dragon."

"With _that_ ," she asked skeptically, gesturing to his sword. "Why a sword? Do you even know how to use one?"

"I- No? But this is what you slay dragons with, right," he asked, lifting the hunk of metal in question.

"Why don't you use your powers," Lucy asked, rubbing her temples. Gods, even dream-Natsu gave her a migraine.

"My powers? To slay the dragon?"

"Uh, yeah? Have you never tried that before?"

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I always woke up with a sword in hand, so I just figured…"

Natsu trailed off before tossing his sword aside, his face hardening with a new resolve. He stepped up to the snarling beast, preparing to fight the damned thing. Meanwhile, Lucy stayed behind, mind in a whirl at his words. _Always woke up…? This is_ my _dream, right?_

Natsu took a deep breath in, hunching over as he prepared to use his magic. He gave a harsh exhale of fire, crimson and gold spiraling out into the air around him. Lucy watched, fascinated, as his hands sparked an inferno that crackled and glowed in the dim twilight. She'd known that his magic was explosive and dangerous since he blew up that yacht the night the night they met. But she didn't know that his magic was so breathtaking and smoldering and… _hot_.

The dragon swiped at him, and he ducked with ease, sending a blast of fire in its direction. Natsu's movements were almost choreographed, like a dance. Natsu blew fire at the asphalt the dragon stood on, making it so hot that it became molten and liquified like lava. The dragon let out a shiver-inducing howl, rising from the ground with thunderous flaps from its wings. Natsu roared in its direction (actually _roared_ ), sending the beast flying away to make its escape.

" _Whoa_ ," Lucy breathed, eyes wide. "This is definitely the most intense dream I've ever had."

"The most intense dream _you've_ ever had," Natsu gaped, whirling around to look at her. "This is _my_ dream."

"Um, I'm pretty sure this is my dream," Lucy drawled, crossing her arms. "You're just a figment of my imagination."

"Actually, you're a figment of _my_ imagination," Natsu argued back, petulantly mirroring her posture. "I've been having this dream every night for, like, five years. So I'm pretty sure it's mine."

"Five years? You went through the same dream for _five years_? And you never figured out how to get rid of it?"

"I've tried," Natsu yelled indignantly. "I just didn't know my powers worked in dreams!"

"So you can dream up an extinct species terrorizing the town, but you can't use your own powers?"

Natsu gave a frustrated cry, looking like he was going to rip his own hair out. Then he fixed Lucy with a glare and stormed off, kicking a lamp post over along the way. Lucy rolled her eyes when the giant hunk of metal gave a groan before crashing down to the pavement. Even in these dreams Natsu was essentially an overpowered toddler. Lucy sighed before running after him, tugging on his arm to halt him.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, turning him to face her. "I just can't believe that we've been sharing this dream for the last week."

"Weirder things have happened," he murmured guardedly, scratching the back of his neck. "I don't see why it's so hard to believe."

"I just get really cynical when I don't understand things like this. I'm still pretty new to this whole paranormal world, you know."

"Yeah," Natsu sighed. "I forget that you're practically a Natural."

"A Natural," Lucy asked, confused.

"It's what we call humans," he explained, lips twisting into a wry smirk. "You're so normal that sometimes I forget you're one of us."

Lucy pulled away, dark feelings churning in her stomach. How she wished she was human, unaffected by this damning lust that was plaguing her mind. She didn't even know _how_ she was what she was. Most of the SH's at her school were born into their heritage. But Lucy's father was so obviously human, having no clue about the true nature of Lucy's affliction. And her mother was a saint, if anything- one who Lucy could never have inherited this curse from.

If only she was human or, at least, a different SH. A witch like Ultear or a shapeshifter like Mira. Someone that didn't need to feed off of others in order to survive. Someone that didn't have all of these unwanted feelings for the first boy who'd befriended her without knowing who her family was. But she wasn't.

Lucy Heartfilia was a succubus. And when her body wasn't shaking with hunger, she was weighed down by this hatred of what she was.

"What's wrong," Natsu asked, worried at her sudden silence. "You know, you get weird every time you being one of us comes up. And I don't even know what kind of SH you are, now that I think about it."

"I-" Lucy stammered, panicking. "I don't really like talking about it."

"Come on," Natsu whined. "It can't be scarier than that dragon."

"It's not scary," Lucy defended. "At least, I don't think it is. But I'm not comfortable with it yet."

"Okay," Natsu sighed. "If you won't tell me, I'll just have to figure it out myself. First clue: You can apparently enter my dreams. _That_ can't be super common."

"I hope it is," Lucy murmured to herself, knowing Natsu could probably hear her.

"Trust me, I'll figure out what you are. It'll probably only take a few days. I mean, how many SH's could there be?"

* * *

Two weeks had passed, and Natsu (thank the Gods) _still_ hadn't been able to figure out what she was. It was like a bad retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. Every day he'd come to Lucy with a list of possible SH types, and every day she'd turn them all down. He was starting to get creative, and Lucy was starting to feel bad about the copious amounts of time he'd been spending in Library archives. Levy told her not to fret, that it was the only time she'd ever seen the dragon-boy study so damned hard.

Most of the time, Lucy was in the library with him. It felt like she was studying hours every night just to catch up the the rest of her peers. It didn't help that Porlyusica kept assigning Lucy's Influence Magic Class gobs of homework. The endless quizzes over the different types of SH's and the magic they specialize in had turned Lucy into an SH trivia buff in a matter of days. She definitely envied MiraJane and Levy. Their Deception Magic Class teacher, Mavis, was all about sunshine and friendly getting-to-know-you games. If only.

It's a good thing they sat in the back because Levy was a dictator that reigned supreme over her precious library. This meant that none of the books were to be misused (Lucy had to keep Natsu from ripping out pages with information he found important, no lie). This also meant absolute silence which, for a chatterbox like Natsu, was pretty much impossible.

"Are you an astral projector," Natsu was asking her one day during a study session. "My friend Warren was one. I think he could go into people's dreams."

"Nope," Lucy murmured, distracted as she read a passage for that night's homework assignment. It was a reading meant to give her a firmer grasp on the personality differences between the SH classes. _Power class SH's tend to be stronger willed, typically shown in their obstinance and refusal to give up in face of challenges._ Yeah, no dip.

"Are you a Sandman? Or Sand-Woman, I guess?"

"Like Max? No way."

"Are you…"

"Heartfilia! We need to talk."

Chills crawled up Lucy's spine when she heard the new voice, instantly knowing who it was. She schooled her expression into one of indifference before turning around, seeing Minerva Orland scowling in her direction a few feet away.

Natsu growled, fist clenching. Minerva hadn't outright bullied Lucy since that first day, and most of the two's encounters had been full of passive aggressive remarks. But something about that girl bothered him, and Lucy could tell. She put a comforting hand on top of Natsu's without breaking Minerva's gaze.

"I'm studying," Lucy said, voice filled with disdain. "Can it wait until class tomorrow?"

"No," Minerva frowned. "It can't. We could talk about it here. But I have a feeling you wouldn't want your little boyfriend to hear."

"What in the hell is that supposed to mean," Natsu hissed, knocking his chair over as he stood. Lucy scanned Minerva's face with her eyes, seeing the smug satisfaction that Minerva held there. She probably wasn't bluffing, and Lucy got a feeling that she knew what their "talk" would be about.

"Calm down, Natsu," Lucy whispered, seeing the way other library-goers watched the exchange. "People are trying to study."

"But Lucy-"

"I'm gonna talk to Minerva," Lucy murmured, holding a hand up when Natsu opened his mouth to refute her. "You can't come. Besides, you need to finish that essay for Wakaba's class, remember? About the importance of blending in?"

"How do you know I haven't already finished it," he huffed, crossing his arms.

"Because you _never_ finish anything until the night before it's due."

"Will you be okay," he murmured, eyes concerned. Minerva groaned in indignation behind them.

"Christ, she's just coming to talk to me. She's not going to war for the Gods' sakes. Cut the theatrics and go back to studying, reptile-boy."

"His name is Natsu," Lucy scowled, moving to stand between them. "You wanna talk? Let's go."

Minerva rolled her eyes before spinning away, her hair hitting Lucy's face in the process. Lucy glared at Minerva's back as the girl left the library, clearly wanting Lucy to follow her who knows where. Lucy waved goodbye to Natsu before heading after her, flinching at the distraught look on his face. She'd have to call him later to assure him she was alright, or else he'd break into her place like he'd been doing for the past two weeks.

Lucy jogged a little to catch up to Minerva, growing weary when the girl stopped in an empty hallway. Minerva crossed her arms and leaned against a locker, fixing Lucy with a glare that suggested the blonde was encroaching on _her_ time instead of the other way around.

"What did you wanna talk about," Lucy asked, finally breaking the silence.

"I finally meet someone who's my age that is one of my kind, and she's an idiot," Minerva scowled. The breath left Lucy's lungs, and the world started spinning.

"One of- You mean-"

"A _succubus_ ," Minerva clarified. "You can't seriously say you didn't know, Miss Honor Roll."

The strange thing is, as much of a shock as the revelation was, that Lucy _had_ kind of known. It was always there, in the back of her mind. The instinctive knowing that she and Minerva were cut from the same cloth. That they were two of a kind at this diverse school. That both of them carried around the title of _Succubus_. It explained the twisting, nervous feeling in her stomach that she'd had upon first seeing her.

"We're both- You're the same as me?"

"What are you, a descendant of Echo? That's what I just said," Minerva snapped.

"Sorry, I just- It's just a surprise, that's all," Lucy stuttered meekly. "Is that what you wanted to tell me?"

"No," Minerva rolled her eyes. "It isn't. We have bigger things to talk about."

"Bigger things," Lucy reiterated, eyebrows scrunched in confusion. "Like what?"

"The fact that you're following the same footsteps as your stupid mother, that's what."

* * *

 **DUN DUN DUN. I think I have a thing for cliffhangers recently. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! More to come, but the update might be a bit slow. I was wondering if you guys would be interested in reading other stories of mine? I have a few AU** **brainchildren that have been spinning in my head. Two University!AUs, a Stardust!AU, a Jane Austen!AU (SUPER steamy), and a Zombie!AU. IDK if I should work on them because I'm afraid of slacking off on this story. But if you're interested, let me know. Don't worry, though. This story is still my beloved baby, and I'll try not to go more than two weeks without updating. Please Follow, Favorite, and Review. Thanks! :)**


	8. A Bit of an Emotional Wreck

**A/N: I've been AWOL. I know it. I got _serious_ writer's block for this one (IDKY), so the update is a week later than planned. But better late than never, right? I feel like I'm always leaving you guys hanging with a cliff hanger. I swear it's not on purpose. (Well, maybe a little.) The fact that the last chapter referenced Lucy's mom the same week as the manga was pretty much the hugest fucking coincidence, like omg. I was pretty much dying when people pointed that out to me.**

 **Thank you to all of my reviewers- you guys rock my world. We've almost hit 300 followers! I almost can't believe my lame-ass story has gained so much traction. But I'm grateful nonetheless. A lot of you are wondering why Natsu didn't feel the energy drain. Which will be explained! *cough* _eventually_ *cough*. I'm kinda wondering how most of you guys came across my story. Did you see the link on tumblr or were you just doing random searches here on ff? Just kinda curious.**

 **Anyways, on with the story! And a high five to anyone who actually reads these boring author's notes. :P**

* * *

"Explain yourself. _Right now_ ," Lucy hissed, voice menacing. The thought of a single soul daring to refer to her late mother as anything but angelic sparked a deadly mixture of wrath and venom in Lucy's bones.

"Do you know anything about our kind," Minerva asked with haughty contempt, ignoring Lucy's demand. "Because if you did, you'd know that a succubus is _born_ , not made. Which means one of your parents had to have passed the bloodline onto you. And we both know that your gift wasn't given to you by that disgustingly human father of yours."

Minerva's malice was met with the ringing clang of a fist against metal right next to her face. Minerva's eyes trailed from the wrist in her peripheral vision down the attached arm and finally to Lucy's furious glare. The anger only grew there when Minerva stared blankly at her, looking completely unphased.

"Don't pretend that you have even an inkling of what my family is like," Lucy gritted out.

"I have more than an inkling," Minerva murmured, slipping deftly under Lucy's outstretched arm. Once Minerva had once again established her personal space, she turned to give Lucy a contemptuous look.

"Demons like us are big on gossip. Especially when a succubus who is practically _Daemonum Regalitatem_ falls in love with a pathetic human and starves herself to death. My father's an Incubus, and he still hasn't shut up about it."

" _Daemonum Regalitatem?_ What does that mean? Demon Royalty?"

"Looks like those Latin classes were actually worth something. Yes, that's what it means. Your mother was one of the elite. Feared. Desired. Powerful. She was next in line to become Fiore's Madame Lilith. But that all turned to shit when she let herself become enamored by some young bond salesman."

"What-"

"Layla Heartfilia used to be the strongest succubus the world had ever known, Lucy."

Lucy stumbled back, backpack dropping to the floor. No. _No, no, no. This can't be true._ There was no way Lucy's mother would've known what Lucy would become (would've _been_ what Lucy was) without warning her. Without letting her in on this mystical world that lay just out of reach. Without preparing her for what was to come.

"Y-you're lying," Lucy accused, voice shaking as doubt and a fear that she never even knew her own mother began to flood her. "My mother wasn't-"

"She _was_ ," Minerva interrupted, voice cold and leaving no room for refutation. "She _was_ a succubus. She _was_ like us. She _was_ the strongest _libidinem daemonio_ Fiore had ever seen. But she decided to give her life to a Normal."

"What do you mean she gave her life to a Normal," Lucy demanded, clenching her fists. "She died of _heart failure_! She had a weak constitution."

"That might've been what the coroner told you, but that's just the humans' way of trying to explain the unexplainable. Your mother died of starvation, Heartfilia," Minerva said, spitting out Lucy's last name with disdain. "Because she refused to feed too often from that father of yours."

It felt like the old wounds left behind by her mother's death were torn open again, hurting almost as much as the first time around. The throbbing ache in Lucy's chest made it hard for her to breathe, and Minerva watched her agony with a sour face. It looked like she didn't even care. And every mention of Lucy's father seemed to darken the hatred in Minerva's eyes further.

"There's no way my mom was a succubus," Lucy denied, shaking her head back and forth. "She never would've-"

"Never would've what? Why is this so hard for you to believe," Minerva demanded in indignation, crossing her arms and fixing Lucy with a glare.

"She never would've used people for _sex_ ," Lucy bit out. "She never would've done something so _despicable_."

Minerva's eyes hardened, and she took a dangerous step forward. Lucy tried not to shrink back, tried not to let herself be scared by some lusty SH that was obviously too big for her britches. But an ominous swirl in Minerva's eyes held her in place.

"You're a miserable excuse for a succubus. You're weak, and you criminalize the source of our strength. Sex is power," Minerva hissed, moving to whisper into Lucy's ear. "You're too afraid of your capabilities to ever be more than a little girl. If you don't feed, then you _will_ die of starvation. That's a fact."

"Why are you telling me this," Lucy whispered, knowing her voice would crack with emotion and betray her if she spoke any louder.

"Because I feel sick everytime I look at you. And I have no intention of watching one of my kind waste away and wither into nothing," Minerva growled.

She leaned away from Lucy, looking as if she were disgusted to have been so close in the first place. Lucy stared straight ahead, gritting her teeth and willing herself to hold back the tears until Minerva left. It was probably no use; If Minerva's sense of smell was anywhere near as good as Lucy's had become, she could probably detect the pooling saltwater.

"If you ever want to learn about what it _really_ means to be a succubus," Minerva said callously. "You know where to find me."

Minerva left Lucy standing alone in the hallway. After she was gone, Lucy sat on the floor and tried to hold herself together. Everything she knew about her mother was a lie. Lucy felt more lost than ever. She decided to pick up her bag and go home; a bubble bath and a good crying session were well-deserved.

(LINE BREAK HERE)

Natsu was ticked. Lucy never came back to the library, and he eventually decided to take matters into his own hands. With his trusty cat at his side, he scaled the wall of Lucy's little rental house. When they climbed into her room through the window Happy immediately made himself comfortable, burrowing into Lucy's bed with extra zeal. Natsu looked around, surprised that she wasn't there. He had caught her scent from outside (the smell of honey and coffee beans and something else that made his insides burn). She was definitely here.

Natsu's eyes widened in realization when he finally noticed the humidity the seeped from the bathroom and permeated the air. Soon after, he heard the distinct sound of water being sucked down the drain. Lucy had been in the bath. Oh, crap. If she saw him here she'd probably shove him face-first out of her window.

Natsu looked around for a place to hide, but it was too late. Happy (being the clueless feline he was) flew to the bathroom door and knocked. Natsu swiped an exasperated hand down his face and sighed. _Lucy's gonna kill us all._

The bathroom door swung open, and Lucy stomped out into the hallway. Man, she was pissed. The fury in her eyes made Natsu a little afraid- but only for about .3 seconds, which was the amount of time it took for him to notice what she was wearing. Or rather, wasn't wearing. He had assumed she'd be wearing baggy sweats or at least one of those ridiculously fluffy bathrobes she liked so much. Be she was clad in merely an itty bitty towel that did nothing to cover those luscious legs of hers.

"What did I tell you about coming in through my window," she hissed, pinching Happy's cheek between her fingers. "This is the fifth time in two weeks! I could call the cops on you for breaking and entering, you know!"

"Sowwy, Lushi," Happy whined pawing at her hand. "Natsu was just worried."

Lucy's eyes widened as she let go of Happy, apparently just realizing Natsu's presence. The poor tomcat scampered away and flew out the window, likely flying home to escape Lucy's wrath. Her cheeks were beet red, and Natsu got the feeling it wasn't just from her bath. She fidgeted nervously, trying to discreetly cover more skin with her little towel to no avail. She finally decided to just turn away from him, facing the wall in her embarrassment.

"What do you want," she asked, her voice a combination of mortification and annoyance that almost made Natsu want to laugh. Almost.

"I just came to check on you," he said, shifting around awkwardly and stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Make sure Minerva hadn't eaten you alive."

"I survived," Lucy laughed, turning to face him. Natsu found himself riveted with the drop of water that slid down the slope of her neck, his stomach erupting into butterflies at the sight.

"Um, what did you guys talk about," Natsu stammered, averting his eyes.

"She… She interrogated me about my mom. That's all."

"What about her," Natsu asked, moving to sit on Lucy's bed.

"That way she died."

The room went silent, and Natsu wasn't quite sure what to say. Was there a normal thing to say upon finding out that someone's mom is dead. If anyone knew, it should've been Natsu. He gaped at her a little bit, shocked. She sighed, walking over to pull clothes from her dresser. Finally breaking the silence, she turned to him.

"Look, I've gotta change so maybe you should-"

"I don't have a mom either."

Natsu flinched at how damned vulnerable his voice sounded. He never was one to pity himself, but not having a mom had always made him feel unbearably different. Finding out that Lucy shared that same tragedy made him feel like they had some sort of inherent bond, and the words just tumbled out. Natsu clamped his mouth close, itching to take back what he'd said. But Lucy just looked at him with these unreadable eyes that somehow prodded him to continue.

"They told me she died in childbirth," he continued, voice somewhat strained. "And no one knew who my dad was. I was a foster kid up until I turned seven. That was when Makarov finally noticed a trend in foster parents' curtains catching fire on the morning news."

Natsu smirked at the memory. Makarov had scared the shit outta him, all-knowing and iron-fisted. Natsu had been about ninety-nine percent sure the old man was gonna out him as a juvenile delinquent. But Natsu had wound up with a fate that had (at the time) seemed _way_ worse. Enrollment in some snobby, rich-kid school and an ice freak roommate.

"That's, uh, how I got where I am. I guess."

"I never knew that," Lucy whispered, eyes incredibly soft. Natsu's face practically caught fire, and he bit his lip as he toyed with the hem of his hoodie.

"I don't really tell many people," he finally choked out, cursing himself when he saw guilt flash in her eyes. "Not that it makes me uncomfortable! I just don't wanna drag people down with my life story."

Lucy was quiet after that, eyes distant. Without a word, she grabbed her clothes and shuffled over to the bathroom to change. Natsu stayed sitting on her bed, unsure of whether or not he was supposed to leave now. When she came back out, her demeanor had changed. A new resolve had strengthened it, and it looked like she'd just made a big decision.

"My mom died of health complications when I was ten," she said without warning, sitting next to Natsu on her bed. "She was my best friend, since I never really knew kids my own age. And I was completely devastated."

"That must've been hard," Natsu murmured, seeing the sadness in her eyes. He knows that most people would've apologized for her loss- that's all he'd ever heard when others learned about his own backstory. He also knew that if Lucy was anything like him, condolences would only make her skin crawl. He'd always hated being pitied.

"It was. My dad had always been a workaholic, but after my mom died he was even more distant. He started pushing me really hard in school and spending all his time in his office. It was lonely," she said, voice dropping. She looked far away, visiting memories that happened lightyears ago. Natsu didn't like it.

"How did you end up in Hargeon?"

"Oh," she breathed, the question seeming to draw her out of her reverie. "I ran away from home."

Silence filled the room, and he watched Lucy squirm in anticipation of his answer. Several seconds ticked by. The cicadas chirped outside her window, and her furnace kicked on.

"Wait, what?"

"I- I ran away? About a month before we met a Hargeon. That's why I don't really have much stuff. I know that it was stupid and reckless, but-"

"Isn't your dad, like, worried? Or something," Natsu asked, confused.

Lucy stared at him like he'd grown a second head. And then she was _laughing_ at him. Like, literally. She fell over, clutching her sides and gasping for air at the insinuation. After she was done, she wiped at her eyes and gave a grimace that contradicted her earlier humor.

"He'd have to actually notice I'm gone for that to happen. I've been a runaway for over 3 months. If my dad had so much as bothered to file a report with the police, I'd all over the backs of milk cartons right now," she grumbled, flopping back on her bed spread. Natsu frowned at the forlorn expression on her face.

"Do they really still do that? The milk carton thing?"

"That _so_ wasn't my point," Lucy snorted, punching his leg. Natsu grinned.

"Too bad. You could've been a model like Mira," Natsu chuckled, oblivious to the way Lucy's breath caught in her throat. "Except, instead of modeling for girly stuff, you'd model for milk. Kinda ironic since your boobs are so-"

" _Natsu!_ "

(LINE BREAK HERE)

 _November_

Juvia has always been an emotional wreck. She was inconsolable when her parents died, locking herself in her room and refusing to come out no matter how much her aunt begged. She cried a lot back then, always finding some way to be overcome with grief. Then came the anger. Middle school was awful (as it is for most people). Being an angry, orphaned, self-loathing siren only made matters worse. She went through a heavy metal phase that she'd rather forget.

And along came Gray Fullbuster. Her perfect, breath-taking, heart-stopping Gray Fullbuster. The very thought of him filled Juvia's heart with so much love, she felt like it'd burst at the seams. Honestly, it wouldn't be a bad way to go.

Whoever had said that it was necessary to love yourself before loving someone else was horrendously wrong. Juvia had never particularly liked herself- probably because everything she'd ever wanted always got ripped away from her. And it always felt like her fault. Her parents wouldn't have died in that plane crash if she'd told them not to go. She could've joined choir or the swim team if it weren't for her own cursed lungs and legs. After a while, she even began thinking that every spout of bad weather must somehow be her own wrongdoing.

No, Juvia didn't love herself. But she loved Gray. And loving him eventually made her feel like she was worth a damn. Maybe it was because he never really pushed her away, despite the protest that left his mouth. Sometimes he'd even let her come a little closer. Maybe it was because Gray was the first real friend she'd ever made. Sometimes she'd even venture to say that they were a little bit more. Or maybe it was just the way he looked at her.

Yeah, being hopelessly in love with Gray had showed Juvia how to love herself. But it was also an emotional rollercoaster of its own. Sometimes being in love put her on cloud nine. But other times…

"Juvia loves him so much," she whined, face down in her desk. Lucy sighed.

"I know, Juvia."

"Gray-sama should just hurry up and propose to Juvia," the siren groaned. "It would give her much more peace of mind."

"I'm sure he'll get on that," Lucy murmured, rubbing Juvia's back.

"Why can't we spend time together like Love Rival and Natsu-san," Juvia wailed, too distraught to notice Lucy's embarrassed flush.

"Natsu and I aren't dating or anything! It's not like we spend _that_ much time together."

Juvia's head snapped up, and she glared at Lucy. The blonde had the decency to look uncomfortable, squirming under Juvia's harsh observation.

"Why was Love Rival not at Mira's Halloween party on Saturday," Juvia suddenly asked.

"I already apologized for that a million times! I was all dressed and ready to go, but Natsu made me watch this stupid horror movie and-"

"Juvia sees. Love Rival was too busy having a movie marathon with her 'not-boyfriend' to attend the party," Juvia sniffed, an edge to her voice. "Or maybe she was chicken after hearing that everyone would be playing Seven Minutes in Heaven."

"I'm not chicken! Take that back!"

"Juvia wasn't chicken either," the blunette sighed, sinking into her seat. "But Gray-sama was."

Lucy frowned, finally seeing what Juvia's real problem was. Rejection is never easy. She scooted closer, preparing to comfort.

"What happened," Lucy asked, voice soft.

"Ice dick made up an excuse and ditched after Mira tried shoving him in a closet with Juvia," Gajeel snorted, intruding in on the conversation. Juvia gave cry of anguish while Lucy shot him a glare.

"I _will_ tell Levy on you," Lucy threatened, tone shrill.

"I ain't scared of my own damned girlfriend," Gajeel growled, crossing his arms.

"Nice try," Lucy said haughtily. "But my aura spell is on, and that was a total lie."

"You don't need an aura spell to know that was a lie," a certain pixie smirked from behind them.

"I ain't scared of you one bit," Gajeel grumbled, but the resignation in his tone was a dead giveaway. Levy laughed.

"Sure you aren't," she said, kissing his cheek.

"Shouldn't you be in Mavis's room? Class is about to start," Lucy said, glancing at the clock.

"I was just dropping this off," Levy said, pulling a bag of blood out of her bag. "Gajeel forgot it in the library."

"Gross," Lucy gagged. "Can you do that somewhere else?"

"It ain't gross," Gajeel said indignantly. "Vampires drink blood for the iron in it. We need the nutrients."

"If you have an iron deficiency then why don't you just take vitamins," Lucy deadpanned.

"There's other important stuff in it that we need! The most important one is probably-"

"Lucy!"

The group's attention shifted to Natsu as he burst into Lucy's class. He was practically bursting with energy, eyes unable to find a spot to focus on. Juvia had an errant thought that Natsu was somewhat akin to a squirrel when he got excitable. Lucy groaned.

"Natsu, what-"

"I think I left my scarf over at your place," he interrupted, worried. "I've been looking all over for it."

"I texted you this morning saying that you did," Lucy chastised. "That and the millions of other things you forget when you come over. I still have your English textbook, your sweatpants, your bus pass-"

"You can keep that stuff," Natsu shrugged. "I just missed my scarf."

"My apartment is not a place for you to keep your junk," Lucy shrieked.

"You don't mind that I keep a toothbrush and spare pillows over there," Natsu reasoned. Lucy sighed.

"Well, those things are practical."

Juvia watched the two continue to bicker, probably not noticing the befuddled looks they were receiving from the rest of the group. _Practical?_ Juvia wondered if keeping a toothbrush at someone else's house was normal for people who weren't dating. Last she checked, it wasn't. Then again, Juvia had never been a very good judge of what was or wasn't typical behavior.

Soon enough, the bell rang. Levy kissed Gajeel's cheek and scurried off to her class. Natsu gave Lucy a playful nudge before heading off to his, obviously not noticing how flustered the simple touch made her. Juvia sighed. _Stupid flirtatious couples taunting Juvia with their stupid flirting._

"We're not a couple, and we weren't flirting," Lucy protested, face red. Oops. Juvia must've said that out loud.

"You two are probably gonna hook up before the semester ends," Gajeel teased, laughing at how red in the face Lucy became.

"Why you-"

"Class! Attention," Porlyusica called, sweeping into the room. "Before I hand back the results of our last test, I have an announcement to make. As many of you know, the principal frequently makes known a variety of jobs around the school that can be completed for pay. We are currently below our quota of workers for a job that will take place during school tomorrow and need more volunteers."

"Probably that dumb ranch-hand thing," Gajeel mumbled. Juvia nodded in understanding as Lucy shot them confused looks.

"Ranch-hand?"

"Volunteers will be excused from school tomorrow to assist local farm owners corral livestock," Porlyusica continued. "We need at least five more volunteers signed up by four o' clock today. The bus will leave at eight am tomorrow morning and is expected back at three in the afternoon."

"Aren't the jobs usually SH-related," Lucy whispered to Juvia.

"This is SH-related," Juvia murmured, wondering if she should sign up. Sure, she'd miss eating lunch with her beloved. But some spending money would be nice…

"But how-"

"Now, as many of you already know, this farm is the famous Unicorn Ranch. You'll be taking care of salamanders, griffins, and- of course- unicorns."

"Aaaaand there's the SH part," Lucy murmured sarcastically. Juvia chuckled.

"Since volunteers will be handling unicorns, they cannot have been previously sexually active to remain eligible. Sign up sheets are up front. Feel free to volunteer at the end of class."

"Not previously sexually active," Lucy hissed, face confused and flushed. "What the heck is _that_ about?"

"That old saying. 'Only a virgin can tame a unicorn'," Gajeel grumbled. "Everyone knows that."

"They also say all vampires are vicious, but we know that's a myth," Lucy huffed, crossing her arms.

"I _am_ vicious," Gajeel hissed.

"Says the guy with a librarian-pixie-girlfriend," Lucy said dryly. Juvia interrupted them when Gajeel moved to wring the blonde's pretty neck.

"Is Love Rival going to volunteer for the job," Juvia asked, curious.

"Probably," Lucy sighed. "Lord knows I need the money for rent. My job writing for the school newspaper doesn't pay enough."

"Ha! At least _I'm_ not a virgin," Gajeel chuckled.

"There's nothing wrong with being a virgin," Lucy half-screamed, ticked off by Gajeel's snide comments. Jabs at Lucy's lack of sexual activity were apparently a low blow. All eyes turned to stare her due to the loud outburst, only heightening the poor girl's embarrassment.

"Thank you for the message of hope," Porlyusica said in that monotone voice of hers. "I'm sure many students will now be able to sleep at night. But would you mind being quiet so I could get on with today's lesson?"

"Yes ma'am," Lucy whispered, trying to make herself disappear as the class erupted into laughter. Juvia glared at Gajeel, who was probably laughing the hardest.

"Juvia will probably be volunteering as well," the siren said, patting Lucy's back in an attempt to comfort. "It'll be fun! Isn't it every little girl's dream to see a unicorn?"

"I guess," Lucy mumbled. "My mom used to swear that they were real. I guess she was telling the truth."

Instead of being happy, this only seemed to make Lucy more withdrawn. Juvia recognized a sore subject when she came across one. And the way Lucy crawled into herself every time mothers were mentioned made it clear that her own mother was a topic of discomfort. Juvia frowned as she continued to pet Lucy's back. Maybe Juvia wasn't the only one who was a bit of an emotional wreck.

Tomorrow's trip to Unicorn Ranch would definitely be an interesting one.

* * *

 **Yeah, I had an epiphany and realized that I can't have a paranormal AU without unicorns. And seeing as how only a virgin can touch/tame a unicorn, I have to work it in sooner rather than later. Because by God, cherries** ** _will_ be popped. I can at least promise that much. I'll try to get the next chapter posted by the 19th. Until then,**

 **~Mya**


	9. Virgin Senses Tingle

**A/N: Dude. I officially suck at deadlines. Super late, but I hope you guys dig this chapter.** **I don't know why it took me so damned long to write, but at least it's finished. Just want to thank all of my amazing reviewers! We've hit over 200 reviews! This story also has over 225 favorites and almost 400 followers! A couple of you guys also anonymously suggested my story to what happen to be some of my favorite fanfic authors on tumblr. I seriously almost died when I saw a suggestion of my own fic on my dash. Thank you guys for all of the support. :) Even if I'm a little behind, you guys are what keeps me writing.**

 **Compucles asked about the possibility of Igneel showing up. My only response? *Insert Devious Look Here***

 **asked about the specifics of demon royalty and what it means to be Madame Lilith. I'm gonna delve deeper into Lucy's succubus heritage soon, but I can tell you that Madame Lilith is a lot like being Alpha female.**

 **I was digging through the reviews, and I think someone asked about who Natsu's foster family was. I couldn't for the life of me find who it was. I can say that several characters' families are gonna be revealed in the next couple chapters. (Natsu, Gray, Juvia, etc...)**

 **BEWARE: FLUFF AHEAD.**

* * *

This was pretty much the last place on Earth that Gray wanted to be. In all fairness, who would _want_ to be boarding a school bus filled with awkward virgins? (Completely disregard the fact that he was one of said awkward virgins.) Herding unicorns might've sounded fun to Gray when he was five, but now it all seemed so unbearably _lame._ If he didn't need money to buy Halo 5, he definitely wouldn't be doing this.

Gray slid his glasses on, sinking down in the seat and trying to be inconspicuous. Gods help him if anyone he knew saw him through the windows. Loke would never let him hear the end of it if he heard. Ugh. Someone please shoot him. A bullet to the brain was probably the only thing that could've made the situation worse.

"Yo! Popsicle tits!"

Scratch that. Natsu and that cute new girlfriend of his could make the situation worse. Gray slumped down even lower, pretending he didn't hear. Maybe if he wished hard enough, they'd just disappear. Hell, maybe if he wished hard enough, he'd open his eyes and be in a nice, refreshing igloo somewhere. _If_ _only_. Gray's eyes flashed open when he felt a rough shake on his shoulder.

"Dude, I'm talking to you," Natsu said, his annoying face too close and his annoying voice too loud.

"What are you even doing here," Gray groaned, slapping Natsu's hand away.

"Lucy and I volunteered for the job," Natsu said, the word 'duh' implied.

"What," Gray grumbled, eyebrow raised. "You're a virgin?"

"I'm here aren't I," Natsu muttered, face red. Gray noticed Lucy snort at Natsu's expression, her eyes glued to the half-dragon's face as per usual. Well. Might as well use this opportunity to make his roommate squirm.

"I thought you dated Lisanna for a year," Gray drawled, trying not to laugh at the instant discomfort on Natsu's face and the flash of jealousy on Lucy's. "There's no way you're still a virgin."

"We never did anything," Natsu burst out, flustered by the concentrated stare his blonde companion was fixing him with. "Do you think Mira would've let me live if I laid a finger on her?"

"Touché," Gray shivered, not even wanting to think about the carnage that would've ensued if anyone dared sully her precious baby sister.

"Who's Lisanna," Lucy asked, voice a bit too curious and eyes a bit too intent. Gray gave an evil grin at the nervous grimace on Natsu's face.

"Elfman and Mira's little sister. She was Natsu's girlfriend until sophomore year," Gray said, ignoring the blatant 'Cut It Out' glare Natsu was shooting him. "He was so _devastated_ when they broke up."

"Was not," Natsu bit out, face flushed. "It was mutual."

"Sure. _Mutual._ "

"She was chosen to do an exchange program in _Edolas_! We decided not to do long distance, that's all."

"Whatever you say," Gray smirked. "I think the lady doth protest too much." Natsu glowered.

"I ain't no lady, Ice Tits."

"My name's not Ice Tits, you-"

"So, where's Edolas," Lucy cut in, voice slightly strained. "I haven't even heard of it before."

"Oh, it's some sorta alternate dimension," Natsu said, tone blaisé.

"Well of course it is," Lucy muttered, rolling her eyes. "That was my second guess, right next to a level of hell."

"Already wishing Natsu's exes were in hell," Gray teased. "You guys must be serious."

"We're not dating," Natsu and Lucy yelled in unison, flinching when they realized that they were way too in sync for anyone to believe them.

"You're already finishing each other's sentences. Cute."

Natsu gave a yell of frustration, looking ready to pull his own hair out. Meanwhile, Lucy looked as if she were trying to disappear into the bus seat. Ah, sweet bliss. Getting to embarrass the hell out of Natsu and his crush? Absolutely priceless. Maybe the universe was finally looking out for Gray, sending good karma his way. This day just might be salvageable after all.

"Gray-sama?"

Nevermind. Fuck karma. Fuck the universe. If this was retribution, Gray would gladly repent. Because that voice sounded a hell of a lot like Juvia Lockser's, and she was the one person he couldn't handle right now. Gray risked a glance up and confirmed that, yes, it was Juvia that had called him. _Fuck._

Juvia Lockser was many different things to many different people. To some, her very name meant _trainwreck, overemotional,_ or _obsessive._ Sometimes it meant these things to Gray, too. But for the most part, _Juvia_ was synonymous with _distracting, hypnotic,_ and _sexy as fuck._ (The last one was something Gray would never admit to anyone for as long as he lived.)

So when she waltzed down the aisle with her perfect legs and megawatt grin and those eyes that were as dark and mysterious as Gray liked to pretend he was, Gray Fullbuster felt a sense of dread pool in his stomach. Because every little thing she did seemed to rip him to shreds, which is something Gray refused to even admit to himself. Because if Gray fell in love with anyone, the _last_ person it should've been was Juvia Lockser.

Gray should've fallen for a girl like himself. Someone who could tone down her pesky feelings. Someone who knew not to get so close. Someone who didn't look at him with eyes that made him want to move in even closer. But the way Juvia smiles at him makes the self-acclaimed "Man of Ice" suddenly aware of the awkward thing pumping blood in his veins, and this was an incredibly uncomfortable sensation. Gray was far more at ease when his voice of reason wasn't tuned out by the frantic beating of his heart as it did somersaults in his chest. But Juvia Lockser's laugh had electrified the once-dead organ like a defibrillator, and it was now coming back to life with a vengeance. Years worth of not feeling had built up, and the plymouth of emotions she sparked were beginning to overwhelm him.

"Oh," Natsu murmured, an evil grin spreading across his face. "Here comes your girlfr-"

Natsu cut off with a grunt of pain after Gray punched him in the gut, effectively cutting the idiot off. If Juvia heard, she'd get ideas. And ideas like that were crack for her overactive imagination. It would no doubt take an hour to calm her down again. (The fact that the very thought of being with Juvia wreaked havoc on his own mind was something Gray would also never admit.)

"Juvia didn't know that Gray-sama would be volunteering today as well," the siren breathed as she took her seat, eyes too obnoxiously warm and pretty.

"Uh, yeah," Gray coughed. "I need the money for a game."

"Juvia is saving for something as well," she said, nodding attentively. "There's this new guitar she's been wanting for a while."

"You play guitar," Lucy piped up, voice full of admiration. "That's awesome!"

"Oh, it's nothing," Juvia insisted, humble as always. "Juvia plays in a band with friends. Meredy drums and Ultear-san plays bass. Juvia figured you would've heard from Mirajane- she sings after all."

"That does sound vaguely familiar. Isn't your band called Grim Hearts?"

"Grimoire Heart," Juvia corrected, smile bright. "Lucy is welcome to watch us practice after school sometime. Gray-sama, too, if he'd like."

Her offer to Gray was much more withdrawn, and she was apparently aware of what his answer would be. She'd invited him several times before, and his response was always the same. Gray sighed, feeling a little guilty.

"Sorry. I've usually got other stuff to do," he lied, trying not to take notice of the disappointment on her face.

"Juvia understands," she murmured, giving him a sad smile. "It's not important."

Gray bit his tongue, shifting his gaze out the window to avoid the melancholy in her eyes. Soon enough the bus rumbled to life, and Gray heard Natsu's telltale gag. He looked over to see the moron burrowing into the crook of Lucy's neck, making pathetic whimpering noises as she consoled him by running her fingers through his hair. And they weren't dating. _Right._

Suddenly, Lucy's eyes met his. And she seemed to be looking right through him. Her eyes mocked him, as if saying "I know how you feel about Juvia, and I know that you're just a scared little boy deep down inside." Gray broke her gaze, turning back to the window and trying to lose himself in the landscape. Leave it to an imbecile like Natsu to get cozy with a hyper-intuitive girl that was too damn perceptive for anyone's own good.

* * *

Only five year olds get excited about unicorns. That's what Lucy told herself, but the jubilation that bubbled in her stomach suggested otherwise. She was practically shaking with excitement by the time they arrived, eager to pet the creature that she'd never believed existed. It was childish, she knew. But she hadn't been allowed to act like a kid in her childhood, and getting away from her father had helped her get in touch with her repressed inner child. Well, being friends with Natsu had probably played a part in that as well. Natsu, the only person as excited to get off the bus as she was (albeit for different reasons).

"I'm never riding one of those death traps ever again!"

"You have to ride one in order to get back," Lucy reminded him, attention focused elsewhere.

"I'd rather walk the thirty miles," Natsu glowered, following Lucy to the main lodge. Lucy snorted, feeling her lips twitch as he jogged ahead of her to open the door.

All of the students gathered in the lodge, filling the room with anxious chatter as they waited for instruction. Lucy fidgeted, eager to get to the part of the day that would involve unicorns. Natsu noticed her eagerness, snorting at how uncharacteristically childish she was acting. Lucy pouted at him, huffing in indignation when he laughed at her.

"Someone's excited for the unicorns," Natsu teased, grinning wide.

"Like you're not dying to see a salamander," Lucy growled, crossing her arms.

"They spit fire! And I'm not jumping up and down for 'em."

"I'm not jumping up and down," Lucy mumbled, embarrassed. Natsu laughed.

"Sure," he drawled.

"I'm not-"

"Ladies and gentleman," a familiar voice called out, getting everyone's attention. Lucy looked over to see a flash of red hair. _Erza…?_

"The fuck is she doing here," Natsu groaned, mimicking Lucy's thoughts. Lucy shushed him, trying to listen to the announcement.

"Many of you know me. I am Erza Scarlet, and I work here part-time as head of the Junior Cadets. Initially, your jobs as volunteers were meant to be fairly easy- just feeding the unicorns and herding them from a nearby pen to the stables. However, some minor complications have arisen."

 _Oh, Gods_. Lucy sighed, clapping her hand to her forehead. She may not have been privy to this supernatural world for very long, but she'd witnessed enough to know that complications were never minor. Her fears were confirmed when Natsu gave a mischievous smile, his excitement growing as hers died down. He nudged her side as she groaned, covering her face and leaning into his shoulder.

"There was apparently a weak spot in one of the gates, and the unicorns escaped early this morning. As volunteers, your job is now to round them up. Pair up into teams of two and search for a unicorn. Some of the creatures here get dangerous after sunset, so please try to get back before dark," Erza said, voice calm and authoritative.

"What if we can't find any unicorns," someone called out, sounding bored. Ezra's face hardened into an expression that bordered on terrifying.

"I don't tolerate failure. If you have any doubts of your ability to complete the job, I can make it my personal mission to _accompany_ you for the day."

"Aaaaand we're going," Natsu hastily murmured, locking his fingers around her wrist and dragging her along. Lucy didn't complain- it's not like staying would've been a very appealing option. Besides, the warmth of his hand was nice (in a _purely platonic_ way, of course). By now Natsu must've written off how quickly her heart beated in his presence as a common occurrence, only grinning when he felt the pulse in her wrist thrum beneath his fingers.

They set out into the forest that surrounds the ranch, heading north. Lucy marveled at the way the light that filtered through the trees settled on Natsu's face. She could see the freckles that dotted the bridge of his nose and the flecks of gold in his irises. When he glanced over at her, his grin widened and his eyes seemed to glow. Lucy almost forgot how to breathe. Why did she feel so overwhelmingly warm?

"You excited to find that unicorn?"

"Y-yeah," Lucy stuttered, almost tripping over a tree root due to her paying more attention to his eyes than the path ahead of her.

"Walk much," Natsu teased, only laughing when Lucy elbowed his side.

"Shut up and help me find this damned unicorn." Natsu snorted in response.

"Yes, ma'am."

They kept walking, the surrounding air chilly and shrouded by fog. The atmosphere might've been spooky if Lucy were alone and the sun wasn't shining. But there was only a sense of mystery, making Lucy curious about what might be in store. The cool air was something she could've gone without, however. She'd always preferred heat to cold, and the November chill sent shivers through her body. She rubbed at her arms, trying ease her goosebumps.

"You okay, Lucy?"

"Yeah," she assured, teeth chattering. "Just should've worn a thicker jacket."

Natsu's expression grew thoughtful. Almost out of nowhere, he reached his hand out and slowly ran it down her arm. Warmth spread across her skin, and heat blossomed inside of her. The two seemed to meet somewhere in the middle, and suddenly Lucy was on fire. She gasped at the feeling, stumbling a little.

"What-"

"You were cold, right? I _do_ use fire magic, after all. Might as well be good for something. Come here," he said, opening his jacket for her to step in. "Can't have you freezing to death."

Lucy blushed, embarrassed at his offer. But damn if it wasn't enticing. She bit her lip, wondering if she'd be able to restrain herself. The pangs of hunger and lust came back in waves, and it seemed to get worse each passing day. She could ease it a little with small acts of physical affection- hand holding and hugs and pecks on the cheek. Everyone probably thought that Lucy was extremely touchy-feely, but that was still a better alternative than what they'd surely think if they knew she was a succubus.

"Thanks," she murmured, stepping into his open arms and letting the warmth of his jacket consume her.

"There," he grinned, crushing her to his chest. "I'll get you all fired up."

 _I bet you will._ Lucy's face flushed in a mixture of shame and arousal. _Thou shalt not think dirty thoughts about thy best friend._ It was a mantra she'd been repeating to herself for weeks. Lucy had quickly promoted it to her number one commandment, the rule outranking _Thou shalt not combine green and orange in any ensemble ever._ Which, all considering, was a pretty big deal. Natsu definitely noticed the sudden spike in her heart rate, but wisely chose to say nothing. He probably blamed it on her being a weirdo, as per usual.

The two of them kept walking like that, both of them burrowed in Natsu's jacket. It slowed their search down considerably, but the warmth made it undoubtedly worth it. Lucy and Natsu had grown so close over the past few weeks, and it felt like they were in constant contact. Playful shoves and teasing pokes and times when they sat so close together their thighs touched. But it felt even more intimate to have all of the lines of his body pressed against the lines of hers. Lucy's goosebumps still hadn't gone away, making her shudder for completely different reasons than before.

"So," Lucy began, disrupting the comfortable silence. "This has got to to be the weirdest field trip I've ever been on. Should've known, what with the prerequisites and all."

"Yeah, this is probably the only school function that demands a bus full of virgin sacrifices."

" _Virgin sacrifices?_ "

"Your face," Natsu snickered, poking fun of her horrified expression. "I was just _kidding._ If anything, not being a virgin in this place would be a death wish."

"How come," Lucy asked, confused.

"Unicorns will attack if you're not a virgin. Like, viciously. That part of the deal got left out over the years. Doesn't exactly help their majestic image, I guess."

"Whoa," she gaped. "That's brutal."

"Yeah. I think there was a girl in the back of the bus that was lying about being a virgin. For her sake, I hope they don't end up finding anything."

"How would you know if she was lying," Lucy asked, voice full of suspicion.

"I- uh," he stammered, actually _blushing._ " _Icankindasmellit._ "

"Wait, _what_?"

"It's a dragon thing! I can smell virgin blood. It's perfectly normal," he insisted. His face was a dead giveaway, though. He was doing that thing he always does when he's nervous. The thing where he bites his lower lip and scrunches his nose the tiniest bit. Lucy secretly thought it was adorable/insanely hot.

"What do you mean, 'a dragon thing'?"

"It's… supposed to help dragons choose a mate. One of the weird dragon mating things that come with the powers. Yay me."

"Um," Lucy paused, not quite knowing what to say. "That's-"

"Super awkward? Weird? Too much info?"

"Kinda cool, actually."

"What," Natsu gaped at her. "Are you serious?"

"Not the part where your virgin senses tingle," Lucy said, flustered. "Just- I'm sorta glad that I'm not the only SH with weird mating stuff."

And then Natsu choked on his own spit, apparently. He coughed, pounding his fist on his chest. Alarmed, Lucy started patting his back. When his throat was finally cleared, he gasped for breath and hunched over, hands on his knees. Lucy kept rubbing his back, unable to fight the urge she always had to comfort him. He looked back up at her, face the same cherry red that hers probably was. They stayed like that, Natsu hunched over and Lucy resting her hand between his shoulder blades.

"Weird mating stuff? Are you-"

They froze when they heard the snap of a branch in the distance. Suddenly, Natsu was upright and standing protectively in front of Lucy. She peeked over his shoulder, trying to see where the sound was coming from. The fog hadn't let up over the course of the past couple hours, and it was still impossible to see anything more than a few feet away. Like magic, the light filtering through the trees seemed to intensify, creating a glow that seemed to settle on everything in its path. It was enough to make Natsu's eyes widen in surprise and Lucy gasp in amazement.

The nearby bushes rustled, the sound making Lucy's gut clench in suspense. And then there it was. A unicorn. It was more magnificent than Lucy ever could've imagined. White as freshly fallen snow and almost sparkling in the glow that surrounded it. Lucy had an errant thought that the white light must've been its aura, visible to the eye without the use of a spell. It was breathtaking. She couldn't help but feel compelled to touch it. She wanted to run her fingers through its mane and fulfill all of her childhood dreams. She'd always been forced to grow up fast, and this unicorn brought to the surface all of those childhood fantasies her father had told her not to dare dream about.

She stepped around Natsu, entranced. He tried to protest, but the words died on his lips the second she stepped under the haze of white light. She approached the unicorn slowly, trying not to scare it. It didn't move away, simply looking at her with its cloudy blue eyes. She stretched her hand out, hesitant, hoping it didn't run away from her touch. It leaned toward her, letting Lucy run her hand over the velvet coat of fur that covered its body. Lucy hummed, marveling out how soft it was. A huge, childish grin spread across her face. She was touching a unicorn! She looked over at Natsu, wanting to communicate her unbelievable excitement.

His face gave her pause, however. He was slackjawed, his eyes slightly glazed and completely indecipherable. He looked positively stunned. No, stunned wasn't the word. Reverent. The destructive fire-wielder looked about ready to fall to his knees. Lucy was somewhat startled at the expression, feeling a flash of _deja vu_. She'd seen that look before, just never on Natsu. And certainly never in her direction. She cocked her head to the side in confusion, the grin on her face dropping ever so slightly as worry began to cloud her mind.

"Natsu? Are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah," he said, shaking his head back and forth as if to snap himself out of a trance. "I-I'm fine. Promise."

Lucy opened her mouth to insist that, no, he wasn't. But she was soon distracted with the fact that the unicorn was kneeling. Like, stooping down before her. As in, it wanted her to climb on its back and mount it. _Oh my God, I get to ride a unicorn._ Lucy suppressed the urge to jump up and down screaming like a little girl. She took a deep breath to calm herself before swinging a leg over her noble steed's back. When she was securely in place, it hopped up, making Lucy lose her balance. She flailed around a little, trying not to fall off before eventually righting herself. She heard Natsu laugh at her and sent a playful glare in his direction.

"Don't you dare laugh at me," she said curtly as the unicorn walked in his direction, stopping in front of him. He snorted.

"Then stop being so clumsy- If you fall on your face, I won't be able to stop myself."

"Ha ha. Now are you getting on, or what?"

"Getting on," he said, staring at her like she'd grown a second head. "On the unicorn?"

"No, on the Magnolia Public Bus. Of course on the unicorn, Natsu. Come on, the sun's gonna set in an hour. I don't know how long it'll take us to find our way back."

She extended a hand, ready to help him climb on. Natsu rolled his eyes, giving a huff before taking Lucy's hand. He clamored on, looking less than graceful throughout the whole ordeal. Lucy thought she heard him grumble something about the unicorn kneeling for her but not for him. Oh well. She didn't mind being a unicorn's favorite in the least. When he finally got himself upright, he was behind her, leaving Lucy to guide the unicorn back.

"Let's get this damned thing back to the stables," Natsu grunted.

The unicorn bucked up on its hind legs, almost knocking Natsu off. He yelped, wrapping his arms around Lucy's waist in an attempt to stay on. She threw her head back and laughed. It was rather amusing to see Natsu being a little helpless for a change.

"You'd better watch yourself," she teased.

"Whatever," he groaned, burrowing his face into her neck as he always did when they were on any form of transportation.

Lucy laughed again, trying not to pay attention to the butterflies that erupted in her stomach. Or lingering presence of his arms around her waist, him only holding her tighter despite being secure in his balance. As the unicorn trotted back to the lodge, Lucy couldn't help but smile at how incredibly happy she was. Riding a unicorn with her favorite person in the universe coiled around her ( _Even if it's because he's bad with transportation_ , she thought). The world was bright and vibrant and perfect in that moment.

It wouldn't be until the next day that Lucy would realize that Natsu never got motion sickness when riding animals. And it wouldn't be until the next month that Lucy could go a day without thinking of the way he'd pressed himself into her the entire ride back. And Lucy had absolutely no clue when the half-dragon would stop making her heart feel like it'd burst in her chest. A small part of her hoped the day would never come.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading! Did you enjoy the chapter? Let me know! Reviews are my lifeblood. Make sure to follow me on tumblr, if you have an account. My username is the same as it is on here. Be excited for the next** **chapter. Be _very_ excited. Because Things are gonna get **intense **.**

 **Later, gators!**

 **~Mya**


	10. Feeling You, Feeling Me

**A/N: Hey guys! OMG, I'm so excited for y'all to read what I've got written. This chapter is MONSTROUS. It's, like, 25% longer than my normal chapters (which are already kinda long). But there's a lot of awesome stuff going on this chapter, so I'm sure you won't be bored by it. ;)**

 **The response to the last chapter was, yet** **again, fantastic. I love you all so much! Gah, I just wanna hug you! This story being received so well has boosted my confidence in my writing, and I've even gotten one of my friends addicted to my writing. She gets on my ass about finishing chapters, so I've been writing a lot faster. *Shoutout to Sydnie* Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter full of fluff and sexual tension!**

 **Thank you too all who left reviews, and here are the answers to some of your questions:**

 **Chelsea: You want a description of what Natsu saw when Lucy was under the light? Keep your eyes pealed...**

 **Animallover: I adore your enormous reviews. They are my sustenance, and I would die without them. And I pretty much always agree with you on everything. :P**

 **MissyPlatina: I can't believe you reviewed my story! I love your stuff. I'm so glad you like it!**

 **OTP Trash: I love your username. And about Gajevy not being at the ranch? *EVIL GRIN***

 **Winterbirdy: You wanted a Natsu POV chapter, right? XD**

* * *

"And then what happened?"

Lucy laughed at Levy's eagerness, falling back into the pillows on her bed. She heard Levy giggle on the other end of the call. She'd been on the phone with her since she got home an hour before, and Levy had gladly listened to Lucy talk about her day.

"Is that Happy I hear? I might have to hang up so I can get that fish I promised him," Lucy joked, fibbing about Happy having already arrived.

"Come _on_ , Lu! I haven't seen a unicorn since I was nine! Don't leave me hanging here."

"You should've come along, then," Lucy teased, knowing that Levy wished she could've.

"I don't exactly meet all the requirements for unicorn ranching," Levy muttered.

"Scandal," Lucy gasped jokingly.

"Oh, shush. I'm surprised you and Natsu were still qualified," Levy said, voice devious. "Nobody really knows what the two of you do all the time you're alone together."

"We're not like that," Lucy insisted, even though Levy could probably _hear_ Lucy blushing through the phone.

"Oh? Then what are you like?"

"We're friends," Lucy sighed. _Best friends._

"Is that okay with you," Levy asked softly.

"Of course it is," Lucy said, voice weak. "Natsu was the first real friend I ever made. What we have is so special to me."

"But I can tell that you have feelings for him," Levy pushed. "Lu, you should go for it!"

"It's just a crush, Levs. It's not worth the risk."

"But Lu-"

"I've gotta go, Levy. Porlyusica gave us a bunch of readings on Ethics for the mind control unit we're about to start."

"O-okay. See you at school tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow."

Lucy hung up, putting her phone on the nightstand before turning face down. She groaned, loudly, but the sound was muffled her pillow. She was glad that Gray had dragged Natsu back to their dorm, leaving her to contemplate her feelings in peace. It was true that Natsu gave her warm, fuzzy feelings in her chest every time he smiled. And God, when he _laughed_ …

Lucy groaned into her pillow again, frustrated with the swarm of butterflies that plundered her stomach at the mere thought of Natsu's laugh. She had to get these feelings under control before they spiraled into something too all-consuming and irreversible. Because it was one thing to secretly fantasize about your best friend cornering you in the shower, dripping wet in all his naked glory (which Lucy convinced herself was purely due to her succubus hunger). But falling in love with your best friend? That was off limits- to be avoided at all costs. Love was definitely too dangerous a thing to let mingle with the most important relationship in Lucy's life.

"You liiiiiiike him," a devious voice squeaked.

" _Happy_ ," Lucy gasped, jolting up to see the blue fiend perched atop her window sill. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough to know you want to be Natsu's _girlfriend._ " Lucy choked.

"Why you-"

"Natsu and Lucy sitting in a tree," Happy sang. "K-I-S-S-I-N-G."

"I'll kill you!"

(INSERT LINE BREAK HERE)

Natsu spent all morning wondering if there was some sorta test he didn't know about. Because, as pretty as she was, Lucy looked like the equivalent of a highly functioning zombie. She had dark circles as deep as plums and a tired stagger to her walk. She'd even spent the majority of first period groaning and banging her head on her desk. The only time she was ever so damned weird and exhausted was when she spent the night cramming for some test or other.

"Lucy," Natsu hissed, trying to get her attention during study hall. She didn't hear him. He sighed and resigned himself to throwing a wad of paper (his Combat Physics homework, actually) at her head.

" _What_ ," she hissed, whirling around in her seat.

"Do we have a test or somethin'?"

"No," she answered, confused. "Why?"

"You look tired," Natsu said, not noticing her annoyed frown in response. "I thought you might've spent the night studying or something."

"Oh," Lucy mumbled, cheeks red for some reason Natsu couldn't figure out. "I did the reading for Porlyusica's class, but that's not what kept me up."

"What kept you up," Natsu asked, curiosity piqued. Lucy averted her eyes, only making him want to know even more.

"A certain blue, flying cat caused a ruckus in my apartment. I spent the better part of the night chasing him around my room while he tried to blackmail me into giving him fish."

"I was wondering where Happy was! You guys hung out without me? I can't believe you let me miss all the fun," Natsu pouted. Lucy laughed.

"Trust me. Happy was the only one having any fun at all," Lucy assured, smiling as she gave a roll of her eyes.

"Well, I guess I can let it slide. As long as you're not having fun without me," Natsu grinned. Lucy grinned back.

"Impossible," she laughed, trapping him in the warm brown of her eyes. "It's always more fun when we're together."

It was a good thing that the bell rang at that moment, shifting Lucy's attention away from Natsu. Because he had no idea what sort of conclusions she would've drawn from his face. Had his cheeks ever been so hot? Probably not. Natsu felt a fire like never before sizzle under his skin, making his whole body pulse in time with his frantic heartbeat. Lucy's words slid across every part of him like the worst kind of sunburn. It felt like he'd spent an eternity under her sunshine without bothering to shield himself from the blinding light.

They got ready to head to lunch, Lucy adjusting the strap on her backpack while Natsu picked up her books. She smiled up at him as they approached the door, eyes bright and cheeks rosy. God, when did she become so damned _gorgeous_? Even when she was sleep-deprived she was pretty enough to make Natsu's mind turn to mush. He would've thought he'd have built up an immunity to pretty girls by now. Somehow, Lucy made him feel every bit the awkward, inexperienced teenager he was.

The two of them were obviously too preoccupied with their goofy soul-gazing, because Lucy didn't even notice someone coming from the side until it was too late. Natsu barely caught her before she hit the ground, dropping her books and wrapping her in an awkward tangle in his arms. He opened his mouth to ask if she was okay before hearing a growled curse.

"Holy shit, Heartfilia," Minerva bit out. "Maybe you should watch ahead of you instead of making eyes at loverboy."

"That's hilarious coming from you," Lucy retorted as Natsu helped her up. "You've had your fair share of 'accidents' this year. At least I didn't ruin your uniform."

"Color me impressed. Shacking up with lizard-man must've given you some backbone," Minerva said haughtily. Natsu heard Lucy grind her teeth.

"Some backbone, huh? You shacking up with _everyone_ must be why you have so damned much of it," Lucy growled.

Oh, God. Lucy looked ready to fight back. Why was that so damned _hot_? Natsu took a deep breath, trying not to let himself get distracted. Seeing his best friend get in a fight with one of the toughest girls in school should _not_ be sexy. _Bad Natsu._ Sting stepped between the two girls, which was probably the only thing keeping Minerva from swinging at the now pissed-off blonde.

"Ladies, put the claws away. A cat fight would put a kink in my lunch plans. And Dragneel," Sting drawled condescendingly. "Make sure to keep an eye on your girl."

Natsu bristled at the demand, a growl rumbling in his chest. Being told what to do never boded well with him. He didn't even bother correcting Sting about Lucy being 'his girl', pissed at the insinuation that she needed to be watched after.

"I'm pretty sure _my girl_ can do whatever the fuck she wants," Natsu rumbled through clenched teeth.

"And I'm sure she does," Sting smirked as he wrapped an arm around Minerva's shoulders.

Natsu saw red blurring the edges of his vision, and he took a dangerous step forward. Lucy held him back, grabbing his arm and giving her head a firm shake. It wasn't worth it. Natsu took some calming breaths as Minerva and Sting walked away. He felt himself begin to lose his cool again when Minerva turned back to give Lucy a conceited smirk.

"I don't know about you, Heartfilia, but I'm _starved_. Good thing I'm feeding during lunch," Minerva purred with a suggestive lilt to her voice. "Jealous?"

Minerva didn't give Lucy an opportunity to respond, turning back around as she and Sting rounded the corner. Her tone was thick with hidden implication, but as to what Natsu had no idea. He turned back to Lucy to ask what Minerva had meant just in time to see the blonde. Fucking. Lose. Her. Shit. Lucy slammed her fist into a nearby locker, punching the metal door with so much force that the thing almost came off its hinges. She fisted her hands in her skirt, sinking down to her knees. It looked like she wanted to scream.

"Lucy? You okay," Natsu asked cautiously, crouching down and running a hand over her back. Lucy sighed at his touch, dropping her hands to her lap.

"I have a lot of pent up rage," she murmured, voice weak. Natsu laughed.

"Yeah, I can see that. I thought _I_ was supposed to be the tough one."

"No way," Lucy laughed, finally looking up at him. "How else would I keep you in line?"

Frankly, Natsu could think of plenty of ways that Lucy could bend him to her will (like that thing she does where she tucks her hair behind her ear as she peeks up at him from beneath her lashes). Instead of making her hold over him known, he just grinned and helped her up for the second time that day. She didn't pull her hand from his even after he was finished helping her up. He let go reluctantly, reveling in the prolonged contact.

"So, my place? After school," he clarified.

"Yup," Lucy confirmed, the cheery tone back in her voice. "We're gonna kill that SH History project."

They high-fived like the dorks they were, Natsu grinning at the little giggle Lucy gave. He tried not to melt inside when she nudged his side before heading to the library, biting back the hopeless sigh that threatened to tumble from his lips. He always thought it was just girls that get all love struck and weak in the knees. Natsu put his head in his hands and groaned, ignoring the curious looks he received. Lucy had been tearing apart the world as he knew it since the first time they'd met, and it was terribly wonderful.

They met in the main lobby after school once Lucy had finished her library duties and Natsu had finished his special training with Macao. But they left the building only to be met with stormy clouds and the wet drizzle of rain. Natsu groaned at the less than stellar weather, and the way Lucy frowned at the sky made it obvious that she returned the sentiment.

Natsu had never liked the rain. All he could ever hear was the heavy plop of water hitting the cement and splash of car tires driving through puddles. The wet slop of mud and the squelch of rainboots assaulted him in an ugly symphony of sound, and the _smells_. Rain made all of the different scents of Magnolia run off the side of the street and blend together. The end result was a blur of unappealing fragrances that made Natsu's head more than a little dizzy.

If perfect weather was the convergence of spring and summer, warm and sunny and perfect, then this was the complete opposite. Fall was starting to blend in with winter, and the weather was uncomfortably cold. But it wasn't cold enough for snow days or sledding or nights spent by the fireplace. It was an abysmal in between, clouded with greys and uncertainty. Cold precipitation like this made it feel like June was just a sunspot in his memories. All in all, this was the weather Natsu hated most.

"I hate this weather more than I hate waking up early," Lucy groaned, shuffling her book bag.

"Same," Natsu scowled, glaring at the offensive rain.

"You wouldn't happen to have an umbrella," she asked, voice hopeful.

"Nah."

"Me either."

"I guess there's only one thing left to do."

"Are you sure, Natsu?"

"Positive."

Lucy gave him one last doubtful look as he stretched his hand out. She took his hand, bracing herself. And then they ran out in the rain. It took no longer than ten seconds to get completely soaked to the bone, their uniforms sticking to their frames and their hair plastered to their faces.

"Holy _shit_ , it's cold," Natsu yelled, hopping over a puddle.

He heard Lucy laugh as she followed behind, and the sound was contagious. Passers by must've thought they were idiots, screaming and laughing as they ran in the rain. Natsu felt like an idiot. But he also felt so _alive._ He'd always thought dancing in the rain sounded dumb, and he still did. But running in it with your best friend beside you? Now _that_ was exhilarating. The rush of wind in their faces intensified the sting of the cold, November drizzle. But their cheeks already stung from smiling so wide, and the chill only sent an extra rush of adrenaline through their veins.

When they finally reached Natsu's dorm they gave a sigh of relief in unison. Lucy hopped up and down as Natsu fumbled for his keys, both of them eager to get out of the cold. Natsu hooted a cry of victory when he finally got the right key in the lock, making Lucy roll her eyes in response. They finally made it inside and-

"Lucy!"

"Happy," she muttered in response, less than pleased with Natsu's kitty companion.

"Aw, come on, Lushi! I thought you weren't mad anymore," Happy purred.

"I may not be, but my dark circles still are," Lucy said dryly.

"They _do_ look really unattractive-"

"Here," she said, pulling a paper bag out of her backpack and shoving it towards the critter. "Tuna sandwiches."

"Yay!"

Natsu saw Lucy's shoulders sag in relief when Happy flew away to the kitchen. He laughed, walking to his room with her close behind. When they were alone again, Lucy threw her wet backpack to the ground while Natsu closed the door. He shook his head side to side, flicking water on her and making her laugh. A happiness so profound it made his heart hurt bloomed in his chest. Who knew it could feel so good to make someone laugh?

"So," Natsu started with a grin. "Ready to get this show on the…"

Natsu trailed off, never quite finishing his sentence. The grin fell from his face. _Lace_. The shirt that had once been such an innocent and opaque white was now a water-drenched ivory. It was a mere veil of fabric, its transparency giving way to the flushed beauty of her skin. The material was now so _sheer_. Natsu wondered if it would melt like butter between his fingers if given the right amount of friction. _God_ , don't let him think of friction right now. The thought of it alone was enough to cross wires in his brain, making him confuse the girl he wanted so much to protect with a girl he'd want to do filthy things to. Perhaps the most dangerous part of this situation was not Lucy's sopping wet shirt, but rather what lay underneath it.

Skin. There was so much skin. His eyes couldn't help but be drawn to her now-visible cleavage, and all of her skin just looked so wet and warm and _inviting_. It made something hot and nervous and uncomfortable clench in his stomach. He wanted to tear his eyes away, he really did. But there was something about the wet sheen of her collarbone and the single drop of water that slithered down and disappeared between the valley of her breasts that held him captivated. He couldn't move- couldn't even breathe. His lungs were held tight in the grip of the transparent veil of her shirt and her flushed skin and all that _lace_.

And now she was looking at him intently, eyes filled with questions and worry. He just had to open his mouth and pretend like everything was fine. That's all. _Make a joke out of it_. Natsu's standard defense-mechanism. Keep people smiling and feign obliviousness. It was a surefire way to trick others into thinking you have no insecurities or troubles or _desires-_

"Natsu?"

"Your shirt," he finally managed to choke out. Natsu could practically hear the seconds tick by as the awkward silence presson on. _Tick. Tick. Tick._

"Wait, what," Lucy asked, confused. Natsu finally tore his eyes away, errantly thinking that the sight of his bedroom floor had never before brought so much comfort.

"You can borrow one of my shirts if you want," He said, taking tremendous precautions in his attempt to keep his voice even.

"Why would I want to- _Oh my God._ "

Natsu flinched at her mortified squeak, guessing that she had figured out why it might be in her best interest to borrow a clothes from Natsu. He went to his closet and picked the cleanest t-shirt he could find, throwing in a pair of sweatpants. He made a valiant attempt to not ogle her tits when he turned back to hand them to her.

"Here. You can change in my bathroom," he said, pointing to the open door on the other side of the room.

Lucy gave an embarrassed nod as she took his shirt, clutching it tightly on her way out of the room. Natsu didn't know if he'd ever look at her in their school uniform the same. Maybe she was a descendant of Aphrodite, some goddess of love and beauty and _sex._ No, that wasn't it. She'd given him a clue. Something about weird mating rituals?

Natsu looked back to what he had expected to be a closed bathroom door. But the damned thing had a habit of not staying closed, and through the open sliver he could see Lucy. He could see Lucy _changing._ Changing the tilt of the planet's axis. Changing life as he knew it. Changing her clothes.

Her skirt already pooled at her feet, giving Natsu an unobstructed view of her legs and how they melted into the delicious curve of her hips. Her shirt still clung to her like Saran Wrap, the sight doing curious things to Natsu's body. He knew he should probably look away, and he wished he could. But the way she hummed as she peeled off her shirt had him transfixed. Now she the only thing shielding her from his hungry eyes was the matching pink lace that hugged her hips and cradled her breasts. When she bent down to tug his sweatpants on, Natsu almost had a heart attack.

She stood back up, and Natsu noticed her shiver. The gentle slope of her shoulders quivered from the cold, making him think of other ways he could make her skin tremble. _She'd probably love it if you touched her_ , something within him growled. The voice was predatory and dangerous, but it was undoubtedly his own.

Natsu finally tore his eyes away, racked with guilt. This was _Lucy._ Perfect, sweet, kind-hearted Lucy. These things he felt when he looked at the flesh of her thighs and the swell of her lower lip made him feel sick with need- and shame. He shouldn't want her like this. Wild hands like his shouldn't yearn for an angel's skin.

Because that's what Lucy was- an angel. That much had become clear to him the day before when he'd seen her bathed in white light like she'd just descended from heaven. As she ran her fingers through that unicorn's mane, surrounded by nothing but murky wilderness, she'd looked ethereal. Natsu had been half-convinced that light that shimmered around her was completely her own. Never in his life had he seen anything so beautiful.

The thought of Lucy looking so pure and innocent was what finally pushed back his fantasies of her skin. And Natsu felt guilty for wanting her so badly. It was wrong; he shouldn't think of his Lucy like this. It wasn't allowed. The feeling was starting to eat away at him from the inside.

Natsu sighed and stripped his own wet clothes off. It was no use wallowing over what he couldn't have (even though he wanted it desperately). Natsu was an optimist, preferring to dwell on the lighter side of things. He had an amazing best friend that would likely do anything for him (even though she riled up his hormones enough to make his brain malfunction). He had an awesome, talking cat that meant the world to him (even though said cat constantly made fun of him for having feelings for his best friend). And his annoying, wet clothes were finally off (even though Natsu thought changing clothes was an annoying and tedious habit).

"Natsu, thank you for-"

Natsu looked over just as Lucy stumbled back with a startled yelp. His face scrunched in confusion while he tried to figure out why her face was so red. He had sweatpants on, damn it. It wasn't like she'd caught him naked or anything embarrassing. He rolled his eyes, chalking Lucy's frantic pulse up to her being a prim and proper princess. Sighing, he decided to put a shirt on to appease her.

"No, you didn't have to," she stammered, trying to get her words out.

"Didn't have to what?"

"Nothing," she muttered, grumbling something so low under her breath that even Natsu couldn't hear. When she had her attention focused elsewhere, he took his time to admire the way she looked in his baggy clothes. He didn't know why, but the sight made something warm and protective build up inside of him. He definitely liked the feeling way too much.

The rest of the evening went as planned. Natsu put their clothes in the dryer, he and Lucy worked on their project, and Gray tried to pick a fight with him over dinner (Natsu wanted fried chicken while the stripper wanted to order Chinese). All in all, it was a pretty uneventful night. When it got late, Natsu offered to walk Lucy home. She flashed him the prettiest smile and waited for him to grab his shoes.

On their way out the door, Natsu pointed out that she'd never changed back into her own clothes. Instead, she'd kept his clothes on and stuffed her uniform in her bag. Lucy blushed and promised to return Natsu's clothes the next day. In reality, it would be two weeks later that she'd return his sweatpants, remembering that they his favorite pair.

(She would never actually give the shirt back, but Natsu didn't know that at the time.)

They took their time, strolling along and telling funny stories. Their laughter was the only sound in the otherwise quiet neighborhood, accompanied only by the occasional passing of cars on the road and the buzz of old streetlights overhead. Natsu wondered if it would snow soon; Seasons were definitely changing. But instead of the chill and the sorrow that winter typically brought, Natsu only felt warmth and happiness. So much _happiness_. But maybe that was because nobody had ever smiled at him like Lucy was at that moment.

"Long story short," Natsu laughed, finishing one of his stories. "I got super nervous and completely missed her mouth. Lisanna was super cool about it, but I'm pretty sure I was the worst first kisser ever."

"I'm sure you weren't," Lucy laughed, doing that thing where she nudged Natsu's side and made him feel unbelievably warm.

"Nah, I was. S'okay, though. I got the hang of it pretty fast."

Lucy didn't reply, her eyes growing distant as they often did. Natsu didn't like it. He didn't know what went on in the recesses of her mind, but he never cared for the outcome of her pensive silence. Lucy's long, quiet moments always resulted in her feeling insecure or frustrated or _sad._ And Natsu hated when she was sad.

"So," Natsu drawled deviously, trying to distract her. "I told you my awkward kiss story. Now it's your turn."

"What," Lucy hiccuped, her face flaring up in the way Natsu so loved to tease her for.

"Come on! I told you all of my embarrassing shit. Your turn."

"What do you wanna know," she asked meekly.

"How many people have you kissed," Natsu blurted out, the question rolling off his tongue without any hesitation. He'd always been kind of curious, seeing as she's never really answered during Truth or Dare. Lucy's flush deepened.

"I- I already told- I mean, I said that I didn't-"

"I mean a _real_ kiss," he clarified, bumping her shoulder. "Kissing booths don't count."

"Well," Lucy finally said after an embarrassed pause. "When I was twelve this boy from my math class surprise attacked me at the school dance. He smashed his mouth onto me so hard that his braces cut my lip. And his breath smelled like tuna."

Natsu broke out in a laugh, clutching his stomach. Lucy joined in soon enough.

"It really was an awful first kiss," she insisted, struggling to speak around her bouts of laughter. "Everyone always told me first kisses were magical."

Natsu laughed harder while she covered her face, and he couldn't help but think she was kinda adorable. 'Magical' was pretty much the worst way to describe a first kiss. Maybe a second, or a third. But the first time was usually spent worrying and messing everything up, making it impossible to actually enjoy it. They finally arrived at Lucy's front porch, Natsu wiping the tears from his eyes and Lucy's laughter dying down to quiet giggles.

"Okay, that _so_ doesn't count. That basically sounds like the worst kiss ever."

Lucy stopped to think, and Natsu watched her contemplate. He really was kind of dying to know how many people she'd kissed. Admittedly, there was a little bit of jealousy he felt. Lucy was probably way too cool and funny for any guy that had ever tried to put the moves on her. None of them deserved her. _None of them could make her happy like I could._ Natsu shook his head at the thought, trying to clear his mind.

"One," she admitted with a wry smile, distracting Natsu from his thoughts. "I've kissed one person."

She looked at him like she'd just told an inside joke, lips tugging up at the corners like she was trying to keep from laughing. He just stared at her, eyebrows drawn together in confusion. When it was clear that he wasn't getting her little joke, she rolled her eyes and explained further.

"You, Natsu. My only real kiss was you."

Natsu stood frozen as Lucy gave his jaw a fake and extremely affectionate punch before slipping inside. Suddenly, the slow burn in his chest was growing out of control, spreading with the sheer violence and destruction of a forest fire. He'd always been immune to heat, but this girl was making him feel dangerously warm. Her touches were hot coals on his skin, and her smiles were hot pokers stabbing at his heart. Lucy yielded a new fire that Natsu had never known before. And he wanted it all.

It was so utterly _Lucy_ of her to make him feel this way without even realizing the repercussions of her actions. Lucy. Gorgeous. Funny. Kind. Brilliant, despite how oblivious she was to her effect on those around her. Lucy. _His Lucy._

"Shit," he mumbled to himself on the way home. "I think I'm in love."

(INSERT LINEBREAK HERE)

 _December_

"We should've gotten a perfect score on that project," Lucy grumbled, looking every bit the petulant rich kid she was.

"Seriously, we got the highest score in the class. Calm down."

"But Natsu-"

"But _Lucy,_ " Natsu teased, mimicking her whine. She frowned, crossing her arms as they stopped in front of the library.

"That's not funny."

"I think it is," he smirked, watching her lean her back against the wall in nonchalance.

"Whatever," she snorted, rolling her eyes. "Don't you have some princess to guard, dragon boy?"

"What do you think I'm doing," he cackled.

Natsu put his hands on either side of her head, caging her in. Lucy's eyes widened in response, but she didn't seem to have a problem with their new proximity. Quite the opposite, in fact. Natsu watched her bite her lip, stomach clenching at the idea of her being attracted to him. He cleared the thought from his mind, trying not to get his hopes up. This was Lucy, after all.

"I have to make sure you don't fall down a flight of stairs or something," Natsu teased, voice low.

"It isn't your job to guard me," she whispered back, her retort uncharacteristically breathless.

"I know. I want to do it."

Lucy gave a small gasp as he backed away, like him distancing himself gave her space to _breathe._ Natsu felt guilty, trying to banish indecent thoughts. _This is Lucy,_ he told himself. _Lucy._ His mantra was soon becoming useless, though. It'd been three weeks since he'd realized he was completely in love with her (and desperately attracted to her). And it'd been a few days since he'd noticed how adorably flustered she got when he invaded her personal space. Her reactions always felt too good to resist.

"Natsu," she whispered, her voice holding too many questions for Natsu's own comfort.

"Catch you later," he grinned, backing away. " _Princess._ "

" _You-_ "

Natsu laughed as he made his escape, leaving Lucy to her library duties. When she started looking at him like she was uncertain of where their relationship stood, it was clearly time to make a getaway. Natsu jogged off to the gym, excited to burn off his excess energy. Macao was officially Natsu's favorite teacher. Optional sparring matches after school for extra credit? Best. Assignment. Ever.

Natsu threw his bag along the wall with the others, practically bouncing his way to the mats at the center of the gym. He was so stoked, rolling his shoulders and working out the kinks in his neck. Gajeel rolled his eyes when Natsu flexed his muscles in a mock show of bravado. Natsu chuckled.

"You scared, Gajeel?"

"As if," the vampire snorted.

They threw a few mock jabs, Gajeel getting Natsu in a headlock before the dragon managed to worm his way out. Gajeel tapped into his mind control magic, making Natsu slap himself in the face. He scowled while Gajeel laughed. _Oh, it's war now._ Natsu moved in with the intention of throwing Gajeel to the ground, but someone interrupted before things got serious.

"Dragneel! Spar with me."

Everyone cleared out as Sting made his way through the crowd, his gait cocky and aggressive. Natsu gave a wild grin. He never was one to turn down a fight, after all. Natsu gave an arrogant smirk back. He _had_ been wanting to wipe that smug look from the Nephilim's face for the last month (if an asshole like Sting was half-angel, Natsu really didn't know what the world was coming to). And since Macao was apparently running late, Natsu didn't have to abide by any stupid rules. Oh, this would be _fun._

"Kick his ass, Natsu," Cana called out. The resounding hollers from the other spectators only egged Natsu on.

Natsu wasted no time stepping up to the plate, the surrounding crowd cheering at his tenacity. Sting was a force to be reckoned with, known for guessing someone's moves before they even made them. But Natsu was impossibly fast, and he knew that he outmeasured Sting in brawn. They circled around each other, both on the defense. Eventually Natsu leapt forward, landing a few punches. Sting blocked Natsu's kick, landing a few punches himself. The fight went on like that, each getting in a few hits and Natsu trying to conserve his energy. Winning required strategy, and he was steadily wearing Sting down.

"Man the fuck up and _fight me,_ " Sting hissed, swinging at Natsu's head. Natsu ducked.

"That's what I'm doing," he huffed, confused.

"You're not even _trying_. I bet you'd get fired up over your girl," Sting grit out. "Plenty of other guys do."

"The fuck are you talking about, Eucliffe," Natsu grit out, landing a solid kick at Sting's ribs.

"I overheard a couple of dudes talking about taking a crack at Heartfilia," Sting panted, feigning a right jab and coming from the left. "So don't be surprised if she goes for 'em."

" _What,_ " Natsu hissed, clocking Sting in the jaw and making him stumbled back several steps. "You don't know what the fuck you're talking about."

"Come on, Dragneel," Sting spat, rubbing his jaw. "From what I hear, your _princess_ might not be as innocent as you think."

Natsu bristled. He didn't know how Sting had overheard that nickname Natsu had only just given Lucy. He didn't know how Sting was aware of how perfect Lucy was in Natsu's mind, or what evidence he could possibly have to prove otherwise. He didn't know why Sting was trying to start this shit, or how he knew that questioning Lucy's virtue was the fastest way to get on Natsu's bad side. Honestly, Natsu couldn't think about anything but the red-hot rage building up inside him. Every muscle in his body was _shaking,_ his fists clenching and his stance taking on a predatory hunch. All rational thought left him, his body now running solely on instinct.

And all Natsu saw was _red_.

* * *

 **Another** **cliffy for you. (Because I know you guys secretly love them, don't lie.) If you have a question in a review, maybe put an asterisk at the end? Just so I can make sure I answer all of you. I already have the next two chapters written, so they'll probably be up super soon. Ask me questions! Tell me who you think'll win the fight... and at what cost?! DUN DUN DUN.**

 **Catch you later,**

 **Mya**


	11. Hands

**A/N: Hey guys! I'm back already. How are you not sick of me yet? I was gonna stretch it out longer before this chapter (like, maybe a full week). But I figured I'd throw y'all a bone. I literally got a review that only had "Update" written on it (You know who you are). That's what I get for cliffhangers, I guess. I'm gonna try to get up to chapter 14 posted by New Year's Eve, which means a shit ton of reading for you guys. Tis the season, I guess.**

 **Questions!**

 **laxusdrayer2324: Natsu 'seeing red' is a tip off of him going into rage mode. When he gets more in touch with his feral side (his dragon side) is vision starts going weird and he loses the ability to think rationally. The outcome of this will be seen this chapter.**

 **silver light of dawn: When Natsu finds out that Lucy is starving, he won't be indifferent. I can tell you that much...**

 **Twiztidprincess: Hugs back at ya!**

 **RunningWithTheRiptide: Will Lucy tell Natsu about her being a succubus? Wait and see...**

 **wonderlust14: Can you punch Minerva in the face? Maybe stick around for Chapter 12 (which deals a lot with Minerva) before making up your mind on that one.**

 **maalikdb: I can't tell you who wins the fight (you'll find out soon enough) but I can say that there will be dragon mating in this story.**

 **.3: Being a succubus doesn't make you evil, but Lucy's afraid people will judge her** **because of all the sexy stuff it entails. And succubuses have powers of seduction (as well as a few surprise powers you guys'll see later).**

 **A lot of people are still wondering why Nat's immune to her powers, and I can safely say that that will be revealed in chapter 12. Thank you to everyone who reviewed! We have passed 500 followers! This is madness (no, this is SPARTA). But for real, I love you guys.**

 **This chapter is in Lucy's POV, so don't get confused when it doesn't kick off with the fight. (Because she's still back in the library rn). It also references back to chapter 2, which was about 10 m.y.a. (million years ago, but it's also an acronym for my name). Anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

Lucy was probably gonna snap and fuck Natsu Dragneel's brains out. Like, _Oh my gosh! I totally didn't mean to tear all of your clothes off. My bad._ The past couple weeks had been utter torture. She'd always found Natsu attractive- ridiculously sexy, even. But that afternoon when they ran to his house in the rain and she'd seen him shirtless, water still dripping from his hair and sliding down his chest, something in her had snapped. And now ninety percent of her thoughts were consumed with the idea of touching him.

It wasn't like she didn't try to fight the urge. But it didn't help that he was _always touching her_. Throwing his arm over her shoulders or starting a game of footsie during study hall or putting his hand on the small of her back to guide her through a crowd. The result was her being turned on. All. The. Time. It was near impossible to focus on anything other than the fantasy of shoving him down and having her way with him in the middle of class. Maybe she had started this dangerous game with her playful nudges and her mock punches. But she didn't deserve _this._ He could completely demolish her thought process with a simple brush of his fingers.

Lucy couldn't even escape Natsu in the solace of her own home. What with his unannounced visits and him frequently sneaking in through the window. He even _slept_ _over_ at her place! He said that sleeping near her somehow kept his recurring nightmare away- which, _goddamnit_ , was ridiculously sweet. And Lucy couldn't deny him after hearing that. She couldn't deny him ever, really. Because as much as she cursed his constant closeness and the havoc it wreaked on her, she would never try to change it. All of her empty protests were more for herself than anything. She'd always been a lonely little girl, after all. And as strange and foreign as Natsu choosing to pester Lucy all the time was, it didn't go unappreciated.

The most dangerous thing about this situation wasn't even what she wanted to do to him in the dark of her bedroom (although the images her mind conjured up were rather scandalous). The most hazardous thing of all was that she didn't want to keep any secrets from him anymore. They'd spent too many late nights talking about their childhoods to count. They shared insecurities and aspirations and would recount every event of their day down to the last embarrassing detail. Natsu knew every hidden side of her- except one. _Succubus_. The word felt dirty, but for some reason she wanted to share it with him. Because if Natsu Dragneel thought she was fantastic, then there was no part of herself that was bad enough to be ashamed of.

"Lu-chan? Hello? Lu!"

"Uh, yeah," Lucy responded, startled. "What were you saying, Levs?"

"I swear, you've been spacing out all the time lately," the pixie chastised, grabbing an armful of books to put away. "You should keep your dirty thoughts about our resident dragon-boy behind closed doors."

"I- I wasn't," Lucy stammered, denying it. Even though her face said that she so totally was.

"Sure, sure. I was just saying that we need to go to Grimoire Heart's band practice soon. They've been practicing really hard for the school talent show next April."

"April? That's so far away," Lucy said, helping Levy organize the library books.

"The grand prize is a full ride to college for all who performed. It gets crazy competitive," Levy said, slightly pensive. "I think I'd enter it if my Dexterity could be used in a performance."

"Dexterity is a…"

"Special ability that varies based someone's SH type," Levy finished helpfully. Lucy pouted.

"I knew that one, I swear. Your dexterity is your memory, right?"

"Yup," Levy said with a grin. "As long as I've read it, I'll remember it forever."

"You could use that. Maybe you could do, I don't know, card tricks or something?"

"I have a feeling the judges would be unimpressed," Levy said stoically. Lucy stuck her tongue out.

"I was just being helpful!"

Levy laughed, and Lucy immediately joined in. Lucy vaguely wondered what a succubus's Dexterity was. Minerva would probably know the answer, of course. But Lucy still held a bit of a grudge for the cruel things Minerva had said about her mother, and their scuffle from a couple weeks before certainly hadn't helped things. The dark-haired vixen glared at her every time they crossed paths in the hall, often times causing Natsu to growl and shift protectively between them. All in all, the relationship between the two succubuses didn't seem like it'd improve any time soon. Which was a shame, because Lucy was in desperate need of a mentor.

She and Levy continued putting away library books, chatting as they went. It was a quaint job, one that Lucy had gladly taken on to pay her rent. She helped Levy organize the library after school Monday through Thursday and cleaned the library on Saturday mornings. Makarov definitely overpaid her, well aware that Lucy didn't have any adults to fund her. Lucy hummed a song under her breath as she went about her business, but the sound of the doors slamming open brought Lucy to a halt.

"Be quiet, Cana," Levy hissed, aggravated with the loud intrusion. "Some people are trying to study-"

"Natsu and Sting started sparring together, and now they're in a full-on fist fight in the gym," Cana blurted out.

" _What_ ," Levy screeched, surprised.

"Sting said something to Natsu, and he just hauled off and _slugged_ the fucker."

Lucy immediately dropped the books she was holding and ran past Cana on her way to the gym. She ignored Levy's indignant cry at the poor treatment of her precious books and Cana's yelled warning that this was not a fight Lucy wanted to get in the middle of. The only thing that mattered was Natsu. And the fact that she was going to _kick his ass_.

Lucy bursted into the gym, expecting a crowd full of people egging on a silly brawl. But what she got was an eyeful of Sting and Natsu at each other's throats, looking ready to kill. Rogue stood in front of Sting, pushing at his chest and trying to force him back. Sting looked rough for wear, sporting a gash on his eyebrow and a bruise on his cheek that was already starting to bloom purple. His breaths were ragged, and the fury in his eyes was alarming. But Natsu? He looked _animalistic._

Gray _and_ Elfman were trying to hold him back, but it looked like he was still about to break away any second. In their defense, it must've been hard to get a good grip on him seeing as how he was on _fire._ The flames rolled off his skin and made Gray hiss in pain as it scalded his hands. Natsu was growling, eyes filled with a rage that Lucy had never seen in him before. If she didn't know Natsu like she did, she might've been… scared. His knuckles were bleeding, and his only other visible sign of injury was the cut on his mouth. The sharpness of his teeth (uncanny and definitely more deadly than before) made Lucy think that Natsu's bloody lip was of his own doing.

Lucy looked over to see Gajeel leaning against the wall, watching the drama with a thoughtful expression. Lucy scowled. Gajeel was a vampire, gifted with an affinity for mind control magic. Why wasn't he doing something to stop this?

"Gajeel," Lucy hissed. "Use your magic to make them stop!"

"You think I haven't tried that," Gajeel hissed back. "Nephilim are immune to mind control magic. And Natsu's got me… Blocked out or somethin'. I have no fucking clue how he's doing it, but when I try to get in his head it's like hitting a brick wall."

"How is that even possible," Lucy asked, worried.

"I don't know," Gajeel grimaced. "But Natsu's serious. It's best just to stay out of it."

Lucy bit back her protest, knowing she couldn't convince Gajeel to get involved if he'd made up his mind otherwise. Lucy flitted her eyes around nervously, not knowing how she was going to stop the fight. She didn't exactly have physical strength on her side when it came to restraining Natsu. Her thoughts were interrupted by another outburst.

"It doesn't matter if you're lying or not," Natsu growled. "She's different, and you're just jealous!"

"You're _dead_ ," Sting yelled, voice hoarse.

"Ha! Some Nephilim you are," Natsu growled. "I'll send you back to hell where you belong, you _bastard_."

" _Stop_!"

Everyone halted and turned to gape at Lucy from where she stood in the doorway. She crossed her arms, trying to seem authoritative. She looked Natsu in the eye, seeing his face soften at her presence. _Good. I just have to calm him down and-_

"Oh, _Heartfilia_ ," Sting drawled, voice condescending. "If it isn't the girl all the boys talk about in the locker room."

Before Lucy could respond, Natsu made his move. He barreled through Elfman, Gray, and Rogue with ease. Sting gave him a wild smirk when Natsu flew his way. Sting's smug expression didn't last long, though. Natsu swung at him, fist connecting with Sting's face with a sickening thud. Sting gave a strangled yelp, clutching his nose and getting blood all over his hand.

Sting tried throwing another punch, but Natsu dodged it. The two glared at each other, but the look soon escalated to a stare-off with an uncanny resemblance to the one Natsu had gotten into with that guard the night they met. Natsu's demeanor had been confident and a little dominating that night. But now with Sting? He was _vicious._ It only took a few moments for Sting's limbs to lock up in terror, making him look like a mouse that'd been cornered by a snake. And then Natsu had Sting pinned to a nearby wall by his throat, the blond struggling to breathe. Lucy gasped, running to stop him before he did something he regretted.

"Natsu! Put him down," she demanded, trying to force Natsu's arm down to no avail. He didn't even look at her.

"He doesn't deserve to breathe."

"Natsu. _Now_."

Natsu clenched his jaw before letting Sting drop to the floor. Sting gasped for air, and several people rushed to help him. Lucy took Natsu's hand and pulled him away from the gym, deciding to take him back to her apartment. She watched Natsu's eyes cool off and his breathing slow as they got further away. When the blind rage finally drained itself from his body, it was soon replaced with guilt.

" _God, Lucy._ You must think I'm a monster," he whispered, voice shaking.

"You're _not_ a monster," she replied vehemently. "How can you even think that?"

Natsu never responded, and Lucy didn't force an answer from him. She continued pulling him along to her place, ignoring the cold wind. Lucy was on a mission; The only thing that mattered was Natsu's hand in hers and the antiseptic and bandages that waited at her apartment.

As they waited for traffic to pass at one of the intersections, Natsu gave her this unreadable look. She looked back at him, confused by his attentive stare. After a moment's hesitation, he opened his mouth.

"Lucy?"

"Yeah?"

"Sting said," he paused, for the first time ever looking unsure of how to phrase his thoughts. "I mean, are you- ugh. How should I say it?"

"What is it," Lucy asked, perplexed.

"Is it true that you're a-"

The blaring horns of an ambulance interrupted Natsu, and he sighed. Lucy frowned at the disruption. She was not used to seeing Natsu deliberate over asking her anything, and it made her kind of nervous. Like, really nervous.

"What were you asking," she prodded, eyes sincere.

"It's nothing," Natsu groaned, swiping a hand down his face in frustration. Lucy frowned, but didn't push further.

When they arrived, Lucy still refused to let go of his hand. She used one hand to dig for her keys and unlock her front door. They entered Lucy's apartment with less boisterousness than usual, the typical sound of laughter replaced with the echoing clack of Lucy's shoes on the floor. She was so concerned and distracted that she forgot to take her them off at the door.

"Sit," she demanded, pushing Natsu towards her bathroom counter.

He complied without any struggle, hopping up on the counter without his usual exuberance. Lucy dug through her emergency drawer, pulling out a washcloth, peroxide, and bandages. She ran the cloth under warm water and took one of Natsu's hands in hers, gently wiping at the dried blood that crusted around his knuckles. The feel on his skin on hers made her palm tingle, but she tried to ignore it; now was the time to take care of her favorite half-dragon, not swoon over him. She did the same thing to the other, and she could almost feel his eyes boring into her face.

"So," she murmured. "What was the fight about?"

He didn't respond at first. Lucy paused, looking into his eyes. They looked conflicted, too closed off for her liking. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that it almost felt like he wasn't seeing her. Finally, he answered.

"You," he said simply.

"Me," she asked, confused. "What about me?"

"Sting said stuff about you to get under my skin; he talks about you like you're a piece of meat," Natsu growled. "It pisses me off."

"Natsu," she sighed, continuing her ministrations. "I appreciate it, but I don't want you getting hurt trying to defend my honor."

"I've never lost a fight, Lucy. Don't worry about me."

"There's a first for everything," she grumbled, dabbing peroxide on his knuckles.

His frown deepened, and he rolled his eyes. Still gentle despite her frustration with his recklessness, Lucy started cleaning the cut on his lip. He sucked in a sharp breath, and Lucy gave a tiny frown. _The peroxide must sting._ When Lucy was done she started to pull away, but Natsu grabbed her hand.

"How does this not bother you," he asked, eyes intense. Lucy's chest seized.

"How does what not bother me," she whispered, a bit breathless.

"Someone talking about you like that," he clarified, voice heated. "Like all you're good for is your looks."

"It's not exactly the first time that's happened. And it definitely won't be the last," Lucy said, dropping the washcloth and putting her hands on his cheeks. "Which is why you can't knock out every guy that's rude to me."

"I just don't understand it," he murmured, resting his hands over hers. "You're- you're so much more than that. You're _Luce._ "

And Lucy was on _fire_. The nickname was like an invisible hand prying apart her rib cage and clawing at her heart. The emotion it instilled was violent and terrifying and _electric._ The room was silent enough to hear a pin drop, and the air felt thick with a tension that wound tight in her gut. The touch of his fingers sent a rush of euphoria through her, and she wondered if Natsu had magic hands. Natsu bit his lip, a nervous tick that Lucy had come to know like the back of her hand. Whatever this was, he felt it too.

Lucy slipped one of her hands out from underneath his, entranced. She trailed her fingers along his jaw as they moved towards their destination. They finally rested on the cut at the corner of his mouth, drawn to the little wound like metal attracted to an object with the opposite polarity. There was no way to describe her need to touch him as anything other than magnetic.

His teeth released his lower lip at her touch, letting his mouth fall open the tiniest bit. She traced around his lips, her skin just barely skimming his. Electricity shot through her fingertips, traveling up her arm and finding a home in her heart. Natsu's breath quickened, caressing her fingers in a way that was probably going to drive her insane.

Natsu leaned his forehead against hers ( _When did our faces get so close together?_ ), and Lucy swallowed nervously. Her attraction to him was rising and building, ready to crash over her like ocean waves. It wouldn't make much of a difference, though. She was already drowning in him. Their noses brushed, and Lucy's lips parted. Her hand drifted from his mouth back to his cheek, ready to bring him closer. She closed her eyes and-

"Lucy! Is Natsu here?"

They jolted apart at the voice, hearts racing. It seems that Natsu's annoying habit of barging into Lucy's apartment was contagious. Lucy tried to calm herself down, focusing her mind on anything other than what almost transpired. _Don't think of Natsu's lips. Don't think of Natsu's lips._

"God fucking damn it, Gray," Natsu growled under his breath. Lucy tried not to think of what his frustration meant.

"In here," Lucy called out to Gray, steadying her voice. Natsu sighed.

Lucy started wrapping gauze around Natsu's knuckles so it'd look like they weren't drowning in sexual tension when Gray came in. Natsu frowned at the thin bandages, probably thinking they were unnecessary. Wisely, he chose to say nothing. She'd just finished Natsu's left hand when Gray came in.

"Jesus Christ, Natsu," Gray growled, wasting no time with formalities. "What in the _hell_ were you thinking?"

"I wasn't," Natsu replied stoically, not even bothering to look up at his roommate.

"I guess that's no different from usual. They had to get Sting to a hospital to reset his broken nose. You're probably gonna get detention for the rest of the semester," Gray said, crossing his arms.

"I don't care."

"Damn it, Natsu! You can't go around fighting everyone like you used to."

"Back off," Natsu hissed, finally looking Gray in the eye.

They glared at each other for several moments, expressions combative. Finally Gray looked away, clenching his jaw and focusing his attention on the floor. His voice was strained when he spoke.

"Stop pulling that Vulcan mind meld shit on me. You know I hate it."

"Only 'cuz it makes you scared of me," Natsu snorted.

"I'm _not_ scared of you," Gray grit out.

"Sure you aren't," Natsu smirked arrogantly.

"You-"

"Seriously," Lucy snapped. "Knock it off, you guys. Gray. Go wait in the living room. My bathroom isn't big enough for the three of us."

Lucy practically pushed Gray out, closing the door in his face. She stomped back over Natsu, picking up his right hand. She started wrapping it like the other one, covering his knuckles with gauze.

"You shouldn't fight with Gray," Lucy said gently. "He's just worried about you."

"I know," Natsu muttered grudgingly. "He's just _so_ annoying." Lucy chuckled.

"That's only because he cares."

"Gross," Natsu scoffed, making a fake gagging noise.

"Sure, sure. There was one part of your conversation that caught my attention, though."

"And what would that be," Natsu asked, his eyes meeting hers and sparking heat in her face yet again.

"That mind trick that he was talking about. You did it to Sting, too. And you also did it to that guard the night we met. You convinced him that 'the earth would, like, implode' if you showed your face."

"The guard didn't really believe me," Natsu said, snorting at the memory. "I just made him too scared to try and say otherwise. That's all that the mind trick is; it makes people afraid of me."

"Then how did it work on Sting? Gajeel said mind control doesn't work on Nephilim."

"It's not really mind control," Natsu explained. "It's pure animal instinct- an intimidation tactic. It's a dragon thing."

"Do you use it a lot? That power," Lucy asked, hand still holding his. She had long since finished wrapping it, but she hadn't let go.

"I used to. To get my way, you know. But eventually I realized that it's hard to make friends when everyone's afraid of you."

"You're not as scary as you think," Lucy scoffed, unable to imagine a Natsu that scared her. Lucy looked down at Natsu's hand in hers. She'd seen his bad sides, but the good in him vastly outweighed them.

Natsu gripped her hand tighter, catching her attention. She looked back up to see his eyes searching hers intensely. A small voice in the back of her mind told Lucy that Natsu was trying to use his power, trying to show her how intimidating he could be. But fear never came. Not to say that Natsu didn't make her pulse race and her chest seize up like he had to the others. The reaction was not one of terror, though. Molten heat pooled in her gut, bringing her blood to a boil. Nobody had ever looked at her like _that_ before.

"Lucy," he groaned, nose twitching. ( _Oh God, can he_ _ **smell**_ _how turned on I am?_ ) "Why do you smell so-"

"You guys," Gray called out. "I think Erza's here!"

Natsu groaned, the sound now more frustrated than sexy, dropping his head on Lucy's shoulder. She sighed, pulling away. Whatever was about to happen was obviously being prevented by the universe for some reason or other. Even though she desperately yearned for what had sparked between them to continue, it probably wasn't the time.

They walked out to the living room together, but all of Natsu's earlier chivalry was gone. He hid behind Lucy, thrusting her in front of him like a sacrificial lamb. Erza waited on Lucy's couch with a deadly calm, legs crossed and expression blank. Judging by the trail of Gray's clothes, he'd made his escape down the fire escape when he'd sensed Erza's presence.

"It was made known to me that you participated in a violent act of misconduct, Natsu."

"I," Natsu stammered, shivering. "It wasn't- We-"

"You know the consequences of breaking the rules," Erza said lowly, rising from the couch. "Lucy, you'll have to step away from Natsu now."

Not one to defy Erza, Lucy sheepishly backed away from the half-dragon. Erza looked Natsu dead in the eyes as she approached, her intent clear. Lucy figured that Erza was immune to Natsu's intimidation, most likely due to the fact that fairies had magic eyes. They couldn't be fooled by Deception magic or, apparently, scared by the animosity that lurked in a dragon's gaze. Frantically, Lucy's eyes flitted around her apartment in search of a way to save her best friend. She breathed a sigh of relief when she came across one.

"Oh, look," she tried to point out casually. "I got a coupon to that new bakery."

Erza stopped in her tracks, fist hanging in the air where it was poised to strike. Natsu looked at Lucy with desperate eyes, praying that her idea worked. Erza reached over and took the coupon Lucy had in her hand, analyzing the slip of paper with great precision.

"I… I just remembered that I have something to do in this area. Do you mind if I…?"

"It's no problem," Lucy rushed to say. "Feel free."

"Splendid. This is rather kind of you, Lucy."

Erza put the coupon in her pocket and smiled at Lucy. Smile still on her face, Erza turned back to Natsu and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. She then proceeded to punch Natsu in the gut hard enough to make him _see the cosmos._ He gasped and fell to the floor, clutching his stomach. Lucy put a hand over her mouth, simultaneously worried and amused by Natsu's punishment.

" _Never_ engage in pointless violence again. You're lucky I went easy on you, Natsu."

"Yeah," Natsu wheezed. "So. Lucky."

"I suppose I'll see you two at school tomorrow. And Natsu," she warned, turning back to him. " _Stay out of trouble._ "

Natsu nodded eagerly, wanting to appease Erza's demands. When she finally left, Natsu and Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. That confrontation with Erza was a closer brush with death than Natsu's fight with Sting had been.

"How did you know that'd work," Natsu asked, incredulous (and still slightly breathless from Erza's punch).

"Erza's Dexterity may be her eyes, but all fairies have a weakness for sugar," Lucy explained, plopping down on her sofa.

"Huh. Makes sense," Natsu said, collapsing into the seat next to her. "You're so smart, Luce."

"It was just something I read somewhere," Lucy muttered, face flushed. "Um, is that what your intimidation trick is? Your Dexterity?"

"Nah," he yawned, stretching out. "That's just one of the mystical perks of being a dragon. My Dexterity is my hands."

"Your hands," Lucy asked, confused. "What about them?"

"I'm good at anything I use my hands for. It's probably meant for fighting and stuff, but anything else I need my hands for works. Erza used to make me give her massages."

Lucy flushed, unable to keep herself from thinking of all the other things Natsu could use his hands for. _Thou shalt not think dirty thoughts about thy best friend._ The mantra was far less effective than usual, Lucy's body still flaring with its now familiar hunger. If this went on, there was no telling what she would do.

"You should probably head home," Lucy squeaked, getting up. "I need to take a shower and do some Influence Class homework and stuff."

"Oh," Natsu murmured, suddenly as jittery and nervous as Lucy was. "That's fine. I probably should be going, anyways."

Lucy walked Natsu to the door, wishing that she could've let him stay. But she didn't trust herself to be alone with him right now. One wrong move (or one _right_ move) and she'd jump his bones. Guaranteed. Lucy opened the door for him, looking up to see him staring at her.

"Thanks for patching me up," he murmured, voice softer than she was expecting.

"Anytime. But don't let it happen again," she said, aware that the two statements were totally contradictory.

Natsu grinned at her concern, making no promises. She rolled her eyes, and he chuckled. His eyes honed in on something on her face, making her brows draw together in confusion. Slowly, with the same caution one would use to capture a butterfly, Natsu took a lock of hair that'd fallen in her face and tucked it behind her ear. Her breath caught, eyes widening. His fingers brushed her cheek as he drew his hand away, making blush rise to the surface.

"Uh, bye," he rumbled, pink dusting his cheeks. "See you tomorrow, Luce."

"See you tomorrow," she whispered.

When Natsu left, Lucy closed the door behind him and turned around to lean against it. It only took a few moments for her to sink into a pile of hormonal mush on the floor. Her heart was going out of control, and her vision started to blur as it always did when the hunger took over. She took deep breaths, trying to calm herself. It was times like this, when Natsu held her thoughts at a gunpoint and made Lucy unable to think of anything but him, that the hunger was the worst.

"Natsu, what are you doing to me?"

* * *

 **He's turning you on, Lucy. That's what he's doing. Jokes aside, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Next chapter will deal with a (kinda) crack ship of mine, and it will be in a whole new POV. Some of you have picked up on it, seeing as how they're always together whenever they pop up. I had two reviewers (LuvinAniManga and Evilkitten3) pick up on it. Even if you don't like the ship (which some of you won't) it's necessary for plot-driven reasons. Can you guess the mystery ship and the POV?**

 **Also, I decided that I would update as soon as my reviews reach 465. (Or if the favorites surpass 450) Which could be tomorrow or next month. Depends on you guys. Let the reviews pour in! (But seriously, please review soon. I'm dying to post the next chapter.)**


	12. Jealous

**A/N: Whoa. I never thought you guys would get so many reviews in so fast. Like, seriously. 140 reviews in less than two days? You must've REALLY wanted this chapter, huh? Frankly, I was just trying to buy some time to get chapter 13 written. But alas, I am a woman of my word. So here it is.**

 **Thank you to everyone who reviewed! It really was a team effort. Didn't reviewing feel good? I got a bunch of reviews from new people, so that was fun. You guys should do it more often. Because I want to fulfill my promise ASAP, I don't really have time to dig through the mountain of questions for an answer section. And I think that 90% of you guys' questions will be answered this chapter. A lot of you guessed the mystery ship (and a lot of you didn't). Congrats if you got it right. Close your eyes and imagine a plate of cookies. That's what I wish I could give you right now. But I guess an early chapter (like, SUPER early) will have to do.**

* * *

Lucy Heartfilia was singlehandedly the most frustrating person that Minerva had ever encountered. Which was quite the feat, as Minerva despised ninety nine percent of the people she interacts with on a daily basis. Sometimes it was all the self-sacrificing, "I refuse to use people for sex" bullshit that got under Minerva's skin. Sometimes it was the way that Lucy pined after some kid that was clearly crazy for her. But right now, it was the fact that said boy-toy had just beaten the shit out of the person Minerva hates the least on this god forsaken planet.

She'd been listening to Yukino talk about her stupid crush on Rogue when, speak of the devil, she'd gotten a call from the moody werewolf. After finding out that Sting was in the hospital with a broken nose, Minerva promptly flipped shit. Within twenty minutes, she was already at the hospital and arguing with the damned receptionist that refused to just fucking _let her see him._ When reason didn't work, Minerva's patience quickly wore thin. She used her _illecebra_ for a bit of extra persuasion. She watched lust take over the receptionist's demeanor, and suddenly the woman was all too eager to accommodate her. Typical.

Minerva had to restrain herself from bursting into Sting's room, which would have made him think that she'd dropped everything and ran after getting Rogue's call. Which she had, but that was solely because she had nothing better to do. Obviously. She calmly opened the door and was greeted with the sight of Sting laying in his hospital bed- and several young nurses flocking him. Minerva ground her teeth in irritation.

"Sorry if I'm _interrupting,_ " she growled. "But I was told my foster brother was in critical condition."

The nurses all squeaked and scattered, like rodents scared off by a predator. Minerva rolled her eyes. Humans were so _weak,_ filled with cowardice and an innate need to seek out anything that shines. That's why they were all so attracted to Sting; his Nephilim heritage drew Normals to him like moths to a flame. Or like cattle mindlessly led to the slaughterhouse.

Rogue had been sitting in a chair beside the bed. Minerva gave him a look, and he seemed to know what she wanted. The two of them were like that, both so dark and misunderstood that they saw a spark of themselves in each other. Despite Minerva's begrudging friendship with Yukino and her… _arrangement_ with Sting, it was probably Rogue that best understood the inner workings of her mind. Without a word, Rogue got up and left Minerva to speak with Sting in private.

" _Foster_ _brother_ ," Sting repeated sarcastically once they were alone.

"My father took you in as his foster child. Is there a better way to describe our relationship?"

"I don't know, fuck buddies that live under the same roof? Sex friends that grew up together? A succubus and her meal ticket? Take your pick."

"I'll stick with foster brother," Minerva said dryly, crossing her arms. Sting rolled his eyes.

"As you wish, my lady. Is there any reason you're here? Because I know you're not actually concerned about my wellbeing."

"Cut the theatrics," Minerva scowled, clenching her fist. "It was your goddamned mouth that got you here. What were you _thinking_?"

She looked at him intently, but he didn't answer. Sting only gave her silence, and it filled the room like smoke; it spread out and lingered, working its way into every crevice of the small space. Finally, Sting cleared his throat to speak.

"Dragneel and Heartfilia are good for each other," Sting murmured, not answering her question. "They're idiots, but they're good for each other."

"What does that have to do with anything," Minerva frowned, crossing her arms.

"She made him so soft and gooey that I just wanted to punch him in his stupid face, okay? Couples like that annoy me. Or maybe I was just _jealous_ ," he muttered, voice getting quiet. "It must be nice to have someone so crazy about you. Maybe I talked all that shit because I _wanted_ to get my face bashed in. Just so I could feel something."

"Self-pity doesn't suit you," Minerva scowled, turning away. "You know that there are plenty of people who care about you. You have Rogue and Yukino- both of them are worried about your mental health, by the way."

"What about you, Minerva? Are you worried about me? Do you," he paused, sounding uncharacteristically hesitant. "Do you care about me?"

"I don't care about anyone," Minerva lied, ignoring the pang in her gut. "A succubus can't afford distractions."

"How could I have forgotten," Sting murmured humorlessly. "Only we mortal weaklings have feelings."

"Try not to forget again, Angel."

She heard Sting hum at the pet name, which was the closest thing to affection that she ever showed anyone. It was what she'd called him since they first met, and it still managed to slip out when her guard was down. Minerva closed her eyes, focusing on putting her walls back up.

"If you try anything like this again, I will personally put you six feet under."

"Noted," he murmured, and Minerva could feel his eyes on her as she walked out of the room.

Rogue brought Sting back to their dorm around eight, and Minerva and Yukino were already waiting in the kitchen with dinner. Rogue, of course, looked at Yukino like the sun shines out of her ass. Sting joked about how domestic Minerva looked in an apron, and she promptly threatened to break his nose a second time. Afterwards, the two of them went to Minerva's room for _her_ dinner.

Minerva had to practically drag Sting to school the next morning. He complained about his ailing health, claiming he was to weak and tired. Minerva then reminded him that he hadn't been too weak and tired to have sex after he came home from the hospital. His argument wasn't as solid after she pointed that out. Nephilim heal faster than others, so Minerva knew they were all excuses anyways. While most people would need at least two weeks to fully heal, Sting would be good as new in a couple days.

All the guys at school made fun of Sting for getting his ass handed to him, and he was surprisingly good-natured about their teasing. It relieved Minerva, in a way. She knew that Sting was not naturally predisposed to being an uncontrollable mess of angst. His aggression and malice was something she'd accidentally instilled in him; she'd never admit it, but she felt guilty about turning him into anything other than the charismatic ray of sunshine that she's always known he is.

Seeing as Minerva had only been dreading school due to the possibility of her having to destroy someone for being annoying about Sting's fight, her morning was a breeze. The nauseating feeling of anxiety didn't hit her until lunch. It was one of the few days that Lucy ate lunch in the cafeteria, sitting in the corner with her friends. Usually the blonde opted to spend lunch studying in the library, likely because human food did nothing for a succubus. Except make them sick, that is. The only reason Minerva spent most of her lunches in the cafeteria was because Sting blew up her phone when she didn't accompany him. Which was highly troublesome and didn't make her feel special or needed in the least.

The problem, however, was not Lucy's presence in the lunchroom. It was her behavior. She was weird and fidgety, face glowing crimson. The girl practically flipped out when one of her friends tried to touch her. Minerva's eyes narrowed as she watched Lucy squirm around in her seat, looking like she wanted to curl into herself and disappear. Realization hit Minerva like a freight train. _Don't tell me she still hasn't_ _ **fed**_ _?_

Lucy suddenly left, muttering some sort of hasty apology to her friends or other. Minerva got up without even making any sort of conscious decision to do so. She ignored Sting's confused eyes on her back and made her way to the table Lucy's friends still sat at.

"What's up with Heartfilia? And where's Dragneel," she asked the shapeshifter, knowing that Mirajane was the most likely to give Minerva the time of day.

"Natsu's in lunch detention," Erza growled in response. "Like Sting _should_ be."

"Calm down, Erza," Mira murmured.

"Where did Lucy go," Minerva asked, scowling when Erza only glared at her in response. "It's important. You have to tell me."

Erza hissed while Mira frowned in contemplation. Her bright blue eyes raked over Minerva's demeanor, and it felt like the shapeshifter could see straight through her. Being so hyper analyzed was almost unnerving. Finally, Mirajane sighed and answered her.

"She's heading over to the detention center to give Natsu her lunch. She said something about feeding him."

 _More like feeding_ _ **on**_ _him._ Without a word Minerva went to follow Lucy, heeding her instinct to find her. Something about this whole situation was giving her a bad feeling. Minerva ignored Erza's cry of protest.

"Don't make me regret this," Mira called after her. And Minerva wouldn't.

The hallways were mostly empty, and Minerva was practically jogging to catch up with Lucy. She didn't know why she was almost _worried._ Lucy feeding on Dragneel would undoubtedly be the best thing for her. But would lizard boy necessarily be the first able-bodied man that Lucy would come across? What if she couldn't control herself and-

 _I am_ _ **not**_ _worried about this idiot's chastity,_ Minerva told herself. _It would just give succubuses a bad name if she lost control and fucked a teacher in the middle of the hall. That's all._ Minerva picked up her speed and ran.

"... should go out some time. I could keep you entertained."

"I don't know," she heard Lucy murmur coquettishly.

"Come on. A girl like you and a guy like me? We could have all sorts of _fun_."

Minerva rounded the corner and saw Lucy leaning against a wall, some guy's arms caged around her. Ugh, _Dan._ He'd been persistently badgering Lucy for a date for the last month. Minerva had never seen Lucy act receptive towards his advances (at _all_ ). But now? Lucy's body language was all off, docile and inviting in a way that Minerva had only seen the girl act around Dragneel. And this guy's face was _too goddamned close._

"I like fun," Lucy whispered flirtatiously. Or, at least, the words came out of Lucy's mouth. But that voice was definitely not her own.

In a flash, Lucy gripped his shirt and whirled them around, pressing him against the wall. She gave a salacious grin before darting below his jaw and running her tongue up his neck. When she lifted her head back up, she gave a little moan.

"Oh, I'm gonna _eat you up_ ," she murmured. Holy _fuck._ Minerva had to stop this.

"Break it up," Minerva growled, surging forward and separating them. "Lucy and I have some business."

"We were in the middle of something-"

"Dan, if you don't leave I will rip your dick off and shove it up to the middle of your rectum," Minerva growled. "Now _go_."

Dan made a hasty retreat, knowing better than to go up against Minerva. Lucy started to go after him, but Minerva grabbed her arm and yanked her back. She wasn't prepared for the way Lucy lashed out at her and struggled to break free, almost dropping her hand in surprise. But the curses Lucy bit out only strengthened Minerva's resolve. She ground her teeth before shoving Lucy into a nearby janitor's closet.

"What are you _doing,_ " Lucy hissed as Minerva locked the door.

"Saving you from a shit ton of regret," Minerva hissed back, digging through her bag. She found what she was looking for and tossed it at Lucy, who only looked at it in confusion.

"A chocolate bar? Minerva, you should know that it won't-"

"Eat it. It'll clear your head."

"But I can't eat-"

" _Eat the damned chocolate bar._ "

Lucy did as she was told, unwrapping the plastic and breaking a piece off. Minerva watched her chew, crossing her arms and leaning against the door. As the minutes passed, the beet-red flush left Lucy's cheeks and her eyes looked less hazy. When Lucy finally looked like herself again, self-awareness seemed to hit.

"Oh my God. What was I _thinking?_ How could I have-"

"You were too hungry to think straight," Minerva interrupted. "It wasn't your fault. I guess, uh, 'You aren't you when you're hungry'."

"Was that… a _joke,_ " Lucy asked, aghast. Minerva flushed.

"No, it wasn't," she bit out.

"But that's what they say in the Snickers-"

"Shut up, or I'll kill you."

Lucy went quiet for a moment, still eating the chocolate Minerva gave her. She was back to being the infuriating blonde Minerva had come to know instead of the sexed up vixen that'd almost responded to Dan's flirtation a little too well. But Minerva could see that her eyes were full of questions. And she'd probably have to answer them. _Troublesome_.

"So, how come the chocolate didn't-"

"Make you sick? Chocolate gives you the same endorphins you get during sex. It's a good way to trick your body into thinking you've fed. You feel better now, right?"

"Much," Lucy affirmed, nodding fervently. "It's the first time I've felt so close to normal."

"You need to abandon what you think 'normal' feels like. You're a succubus now, and you need to act like one," Minerva scolded.

"Again with this? I'm telling you, I-"

"You almost got it on with _Dan_ in the middle of the hallway. And I'm guessing that you'd been on your way to get busy with dragon-boy before that. You _don't_ have this under control, so don't pretend like you do."

Lucy grew quiet, and Minerva knew that she was right. Frankly, Minerva was surprised Lucy had already made it so long without feeding. Her willpower was almost astounding. But willpower alone wasn't enough to sustain anyone, and this was something Lucy need to realize.

"So what do I do," Lucy asked, voice surprisingly feeble. "I have no clue how to go about this."

"I can tell you everything I know," Minerva said. "For a price."

"What is it," Lucy asked warily, voice full of dread.

"You must defer to me as your Lilith."

"My Lilith?"

"A Lilith is-"

"I know what a Lilith is," Lucy interrupted, surprising Minerva. "It's what demons call the alpha female. I just don't know what you being Lilith would mean for me."

"It would mean that I get first pick of everything. Seats in class, the last copy of a library book, and more importantly food. I get first dibs on any boy in the vicinity to feed from. You can't have him until I say so. And if, although I highly doubt it will ever happen, I choose to take a mate then he is off limits to you forever."

Minerva watched the blonde fidget. Honestly, Minerva had no intentions of torturing Lucy with her Lilith status. She just liked power. Minerva's favorite pass time was listing all of the ways that she was superior to everyone else. And being in charge of Layla Heartfilia's daughter? That was one of the biggest power trips she could get.

"And if I didn't want you to be my Lilith anymore," Lucy asked, hesitant. Minerva snorted.

"You'd have to fight me. Literally. And both of us know I'm stronger than you, so I wouldn't think about it. You don't even know how to use your powers."

"It sounds like making a deal with the devil," the blonde scowled. Minerva rolled her eyes.

"Do we have a deal, or not?"

"... Deal."

Minerva took her pocket knife out of her backpack, and almost laughing when she saw Lucy's eyes widen with worry. She took the blade and made a small cut on her finger, doing the same to Lucy. This was the way all demons made promises: An exchange of blood. A more traditional (and archaic) method would've been for each of them to bite each other hard enough to draw blood. But frankly, that option was unappealing and far more painful than a simple agreement should have to be. It didn't necessarily ensure that Lucy would now do Minerva's every bidding, but it would create a sort of pull that would make the blonde not want to displease her. A voice that could easily be ignored, but would always be there as long as Minerva was Lilith.

"Good. My first decree is… you keep clear of Sting. He's mine."

"That's seriously not a problem," Lucy muttered.

"It better not be," Minerva threatened unnecessarily.

"So, can we get to the part where you give me all of your succubus wisdom now?"

"Fine," Minerva huffed, rolling her eyes and taking a seat on an upside-down bucket. "First thing's first, a succubus can die if they go too long without feeding. You don't have to believe me, but that _is_ how your mom bit the dust."

"How long is too long," Lucy asked with a sigh.

"Eight or nine months. A year if you get really creative."

"How do I know when I'm in danger?"

"You're in danger already," Minerva scowled. "You really should've fed twenty times over by now."

"Please answer the question," Lucy sighed.

"It depends on when you turned," Minerva said.

"Turned? You were the one that said succubuses were born," Lucy said, confused.

"They are. But you don't leave the womb with the need to feed off of people's sexual energy. For all intents and purposes, a succubus is completely human until their seventeenth birthday. After that they go through 'The Change'. Sometimes, a succubus will Change early. I changed when I was fifteen. But most of the time, it's the night of their seventeenth birthday."

"You've been like this since you were fifteen," Lucy asked, shocked. "That's crazy."

"My father's an incubus, so I was somewhat prepared. And I had a fairly willing meal sleeping at the end of the hall," Minerva murmured, ignoring Lucy's curious eyes. "So when did you Change?"

"I guess it was back in July," Lucy answered. Minerva scowled.

"I can't believe you've gone five months without feeding," she chastised. "You have until the end of the school year. Tops. Or else you die. No arguments, and no bargaining."

"So my mom," Lucy murmured. "She died because she went a year without…"

"Her death was different. Probably slow. If you feed from a human more than once in a month, you'll kill them. She probably got weaker as the years went on from not feeding enough," Minerva said, trying not to frown at the way Lucy flinched.

"Then why couldn't she- Why couldn't she have just fed from other people and _lived_? I need her right now, and she's not," Lucy paused, voice faltering. Minerva clenched her jaw, unable to think about anything other than the death of her own mother.

"A succubus can only fall in love once," Minerva explained, voice uncomfortable. "And once they do, they can't feed from anyone else. It won't work."

" _What_ ," Lucy gasped. "But that-"

"Makes it impossible for a succubus to survive if they fall in love with a human. That's why love is discouraged. It's one of the only things that can kill us."

"That's- But what if- You can't help falling in love," Lucy stuttered, eyes panicked. "And how often are we supposed to feed anyways? And what if-"

"Slow the hell down, and let me answer one at a time. No, it isn't fair. That's why you don't get cozy with humans in the first place. A succubus should feed about twice a week to stay healthy."

"Twice a _week_ ," Lucy gasped, standing up to pace around the small janitor's closet. "I can't- And I can only feed from the same person once a month, and- Oh my God, I can't sleep with that many people. What am I gonna _do_? There's only one person I-"

"Calm. The. Fuck. Down," Minerva hissed. Lucy stopped in her tracks.

"But Minerva-"

"You can feed from that pink-haired idiot as much as you want, if that's your concern," Minerva said dryly. Lucy's face flushed, but Minerva couldn't help but notice the relief in her eyes.

"I wasn't- We're not. Natsu is just. But-"

"He's an SH," Minerva rolled her eyes, getting to the point. "SH's have vastly more life force than humans. They're laden with it. While the average human can't be fed on more than once a month, a SuperHuman can give you energy multiple times a week- plenty to sustain you. Hell, if you snatch a strong one you could feed every day if you wanted. You might as well eat your little friend, Natsu, up for breakfast, lunch, and dinner."

"We- we're not-"

"I see the two of you together. It's obvious that you wanna jump each others' bones. Stop denying it," Minerva huffed. "Anyways, my point is that you won't hurt him, Lucy."

"I- I won't? Do you mean it," Lucy asked, face earnest. She could deny it all she wanted, but Minerva knew that Natsu was the only one Lucy wanted to feed from.

"Yeah, I do. As long as it's a SuperHuman, you can be monogamous. No problem."

Lucy sighed in relief, sagging against the wall. The thought of sleeping with so many people had obviously visibly shaken her. Minerva listened to Lucy's heart slow down to a normal pulse, and she thanked whatever powers that be for her apathy. So many mood swings and bouts of anxiety seem like a complete nuisance. Isn't it tiring to feel everything so deeply? Minerva could hardly handle the feelings she harboured for a particular Nephilim. Any more feelings would probably fry her brain. She looked up to catch Lucy staring at her, expression full of suspicion.

"Say, how do you know all this," Lucy wondered aloud, eyes curious. "Have _you_ only been with one person?"

"Of course I've been with multiple people," Minerva lied, expression dangerous. "I'm not weak like you are."

Minerva had been lying through her teeth about how much Sting meant to her for years, and she dared not even think about revealing what lay in the depths of her heart. The only person who'd ever known that she had, ugh, _fallen in love_ was her father. Her almighty father, who had cast her out and sent them to boarding school as soon as Minerva's infatuation became apparent. But somehow, Lucy saw through all the bullshit. The blonde giggled, and the sound was like the tinkering of a bell. Minerva scowled, not appreciate being laughed at. This was, after all, her darkest of secrets. And Heartfilia was laughing like the whole thing was just so fucking _adorable_.

"Stop laughing!"

"I'm sorry," Lucy chuckled, wiping her eyes. "I just never would've thought that Minerva Orland would have a one and only."

"Neither would anyone else, and I'd like to keep it that way. Actually, we have a second decree from the Lilith now: You will not tell _anyone_ about this. _Especially_ not Angel-brain."

"Sure, sure. We can't have anyone knowing that you _love_ -"

"It's _your_ love life that you should be focusing on," Minerva hissed. "I'm not the one who's on the brink of starvation. Maybe you should be working out a plan to seduce Dragneel. I know he's dense, but-"

"Natsu's my best friend," Lucy protested, cheeks aflame. "I wouldn't want to ruin-"

"Cut the act. You know as well as I do that you spend last period dreaming up ways that you can lure him back to your place and ride him on your couch."

Lucy only made incoherent noises, mouth gaping like a fish. It was almost amusing to watch. Almost. Mostly annoying, though. Minerva could tell she'd hit the nail right on the head, and Heartfilia looked completely floored. Finally, she managed to stammer something.

"I don't- How did you-"

"I got it down to a tee, huh? Nephilim can glimpse at people's mental images. That's their Dexterity. So Sting tells me what everyone's thinking. All the time. Have you actually seen Natsu naked? He says your fantasies are disturbingly vivid."

"They're not fantasies! I've just been hungry because I haven't fed from anyone, and Natsu's the person I'm closest to. That's all," Lucy insisted. Minerva rolled her eyes.

"Look, you can deny it all you want. But there's a reason why you fixate on him and nobody else, and it isn't because you think he has a 'great personality'. At least, that isn't the only reason. Just hurry up and feed off of firebreath. He's probably your best option."

"I can't use him like that. I don't know if you get it, Minerva, but I care about him more than anyone else. He deserves someone better. Someone _special_ -"

"If you don't woman up and fuck him, _I_ will," Minerva threatened, proud of the glint of rage that sparked in Lucy's eyes.

"You. Wouldn't. _Dare_ ," Lucy growled, voice ominously low.

"I'm your Lilith, so I'm fairly sure I can do whatever I want."

Without another word, Lucy stood up and grabbed her stuff. Her anger practically radiated off of her, the dark energy almost staggering. Minerva had definitely pressed a button. It was a skill she'd probably picked up from Sting, who had found a way to be both Minerva's reason for breathing and the bane of her existence.

"Thank you for taking time out of your precious day, _Lilith_ ," Lucy growled passive-aggressively. "You were almost helpful."

Lucy slammed the door shut on her way out, the sound almost loud enough to make Minerva flinch. The blonde was obviously furious, her territorial instinct flaring. Oh, well. It's not like Minerva had actually meant it. She had no interest in Dragneel whatsoever (no interest in anyone but a particular blond she'd rather not think about, actually).

But if this would be the kick in the ass Heartfilia needed, Minerva could handle a bit of wrath. She was fine with being hated- Lucy was certainly not the first, nor would she be the last person whose bad side Minerva got on. And if Minerva had to be hated a little for Lucy to get the guts to bang flame brain, then so be it.

"That girl is so damned _frustrating_ ," Minerva muttered to herself, her only company being the mops and cleaning supplies that surrounded her.

There were several reasons why Minerva couldn't stand Lucy Heartfilia. But perhaps the most prominent ones were the same reasons Minerva hated herself. Maybe Minerva hated Lucy because she also had a dead mother and a vindictive father and an urge to present herself as the proper lady she'd been raised to be. Maybe Minerva hated Lucy because she also was plagued with lust and hunger and carnal thoughts. Or maybe Minerva hated Lucy because she also fell for a boy with sparkling eyes and warm palms and a smile handsome enough to bring Venus to her knees.

A knock on the door roused Minerva from her thoughts. She frowned, wondering why someone would knock on a janitor's closet door. But then she caught her guest's scent. It was like a lemonade stand on a hot summer's day. Or breakfast in bed on a lazy Sunday morning. Minerva could never mistake that scent. It was the way home smelled. She opened the door.

"What brings you to these parts," she murmured. Sting smirked.

"I was about to ask you that. You left without saying anything."

"I got hungry," Minerva lied, noticing the way he flinched in response. "Came here for a quickie."

"You could've told me," he growled, voice filled with jealousy. "I would've fed you."

"But you were so tired this morning," Minerva smirked callously. "I wasn't sure if you could please me."

Sting grit his teeth before turning on his heel. Her boy was so prone to jealousy. Not like she was any different. But some sadistic part of her enjoyed playing this game. She needed to see how much he wanted her, as he was the only person who'd ever made her feel truly desirable. The only person who'd ever treated her like she was of any worth. If she let him know that he was all she ever wanted, that she would literally _die_ without him, he would leave. She knew that her ephemerality was her only allure; the promise of her was worth more than Minerva herself. She needed to uphold this Cat and Mouse illusion in order to keep him in her snare.

"Sting," she called out after him. He paused, not turning around.

"What," he grit out, voice full of venom and desperation.

"I'm still hungry," she lied again, well aware that their rendezvous from the night before had been intense enough to sustain her for a week.

"Then you should've picked someone else to feed you," he quipped back, fists clenching. If only he knew that there was no one else.

"Come here and satisfy me, Angel."

A few terse moments passed, neither moving an inch. And then he was all over her, slanting his mouth over hers and coiling himself around her like a boa constrictor. She could barely _breathe_ around the desperate heat of his mouth. It was like he had a fever- like he was burning for her. This relationship certainly wasn't healthy. For either of them. But this was the all that she had to cling to, and words of cruelty and malice were the only way she knew how to love him.

He pushed her back into the janitor's closet and locked the door behind them, never going more than a moment without his mouth on her skin. They ignored the toll of the bell, hearing the shuffling steps of other students as they were dismissed from lunch. Sting shoved her up against a wall, and times like these were the only moments that Minerva would ever allow another person to bend her body to their will. As their breathing grew heavier and their moans grew louder, the sounds in the hall dissipated and quieted. The final bell for class rang, and this time they didn't even notice it. They ended up skipping that period all together, and the closet door stayed locked.

* * *

 **Stinerva. Who'd'a thunk? Sorry if you ship them with other people (I also like Stingue). But Stinerva and Rokino touch my heart in unspeakable places, so I had to plan it into the story. And I think it fits pretty well in the scheme of things (I have this head canon that Minerva is a total tsundere). I actually converted one of my friends into a Stinerva fan with this very chapter. I'm thinking of writing a Stinerva companion fic to go with this, BTW. But more on that later.**

 **Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter! If y'all left as many reviews for this chapter, that'd be great. But 13 is still in the works (Gruvia fans are gonna love me), so I won't get it posted for at least a week. Maybe two. Remember to hit that 'follow' and 'favorite' button. Maybe throw in a 'follow author' to stay exciting. Until then.**

 **XOXO, Mya.**


	13. A Rift in the Routine

**A/N: Hey guys! MERRY CHRISTMAS. (Or Happy** **Holidays, if you don't celebrate) I wanted to get this chapter out a couple days ago, but this time of year is hectic! I converted a bunch of you guys to Stinerva fans with chapter 12. MWA HA HA HA. THAT WAS MY EVIL PLAN ALL ALONG. THIS STORY ISN'T EVEN ABOUT NALU. JK, it is. But I'm glad y'all like it. I love Stinerva, and I'm surprised how many of you liked it, too. Everyone I've come across is a hardcore StiYu fan, so I wasn't expecting so much support. It's appreciated, nonetheless. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and a huge shoutout to all of my reviewers. You rock my world.**

* * *

The water called to her. Maybe it was because Juvia was a creature of the sea, but something about water resonated deep within her soul. Water was so adaptable. Scalding hot or freezing cold. Hard as rock or flowing through your fingers. Easy to see through or so dark that it's impossible to tell where the bottom is. Water was as ever changing as Juvia was. She belongs to the ocean- and it belongs to her.

When Juvia was five, her parents took her down to the coast for the first time. She remembers standing by the shoreline and stretching her arms out like Kate Winslet in _Titanic._ The crash of ocean waves and the fresh, saltwater breeze was her own personal siren song. And when she fully submerged herself in the water and felt her legs merge together and her skin morph into scales, she felt like she was finally in the body she was meant to be in.

Her parents had promised to take her back to the coast next summer, and she'd been thrilled. Of course, there was no way to know that promise would never be fulfilled. And there was no way to predict that, at the same time next year, she'd be huddled into a ball of emotional turmoil in her bathroom. No one could've foreseen the plane crash that left Juvia _all_ _alone._ After her parents died, Juvia would spend hours in her tub with her head underwater, trying to see if she could make herself drown in it. Her gills prevented that from ever happening, but damn if the sorrow wasn't suffocating.

She bounced around the foster care system for a year before her mother's estranged sister came to get her. Aunt Aquarius had chosen to live in the ocean away from people, unlike her human-loving sister. Several months had passed before she finally heard of her sister's death. It took a few months more for Aquarius to get an apartment in Magnolia and a job stable and high-paying enough for the social workers to let her be Juvia's legal guardian. But just after the anniversary of her parents' death, Juvia was finally sent to live with the aunt she never knew.

Aquarius kept Juvia from going down a path of delinquency and violence (although Juvia had an unhealthy obsession with heavy metal for a while). But Juvia was still a lonely child. She never made friends in elementary school, everyone steering clear of the sad girl in the back of the class. And she spent middle school longing to join the swim team or choir, but knowing that she couldn't draw attention herself. No one could find out her secret, after all. While her limbs only transformed in saltwater, she was still an unnaturally fast swimmer. Much faster than what should be humanly possible. And as a siren, her reason for not singing for others was obvious. Her song could only hurt people, manipulating them into false emotions.

But FAEA was different. The people here were different, like her. Without the need to keep her peers at arm's length, Juvia had actually made _friends._ She was surrounded by others that cared about her and accepted her. She still couldn't sing like she desperately wanted to (it was too dangerous), but she could do other things without having to worry about her secret being revealed. Like swimming. Juvia _loved_ swimming.

Most days after school, Juvia got the academy's enormous swimming pool to herself. Just the way she liked it. The feeling that bubbles in her chest when she glides through water is unparalleled. Well, _almost_ unparalleled. There was a certain ice-wielding descendant of Frost that made her feel a euphoria more intense than nirvana when he looked in her eyes. But being surrounded by water was as close as she could get to feeling like she did by his side.

Lately, she'd been rather blue (no pun intended). Gray had been more distant than ever before, avoiding her like the plague. And finals were stressing her out beyond belief. And Aunt Aquarius had just broken the news that she would have to work on Christmas, leaving Juvia all by herself. It'd been a disappointing week, to say the least. So Juvia decided to cheer herself up beyond the typical dip in the pool.

It was surprisingly easy to sneak huge buckets of salt into the pool area. When the coast was clear, she locked the doors behind her. She took a deep breath before dumping the salt into the pool. _Please don't let Juvia get in trouble for this._ Of course, she would only get in trouble if she got caught.

Juvia took a long rod meant for cleaning and used it to swirl the salt around in the pool. When everything was sufficiently blended together, Juvia threw the rod to the side and grinned. She then proceeded to get naked. Transformation got messy when she was wearing anything on the lower half of her body; this was something Juvia had learned the hard way.

She folded her clothes up along with a towel, leaving them by the side of the pool. Completely naked aside from her bra, Juvia didn't hesitate to jump in. She felt the telltale tingle of her legs and sighed happily. Ivory skin morphed into aquamarine scales that glimmered under the low lighting, some patches shining silver. They felt smooth like glass beneath her touch, perfectly curved to fit the contours of her tail. And the fins at the bottom of her tail were translucent, flowing in the water like gossamer. She flicked them this way and that, watching her tail sparkle. This was the form that Juvia felt beautiful in.

She swam around the deep end, letting her mind go blank. No more worries or insecurities. No more forced smiles or obligations. It was just Juvia and the water, and everything was perfect. She couldn't remember how long it'd been since she'd gotten to swim in her siren form. Two years, maybe? She and Aquarius had spent the summer at sea when she was fifteen, just before her sophomore year. Just before she met Gray. It was before work took over her aunt's life and left no time for long days on a little boat in the middle of the ocean.

Juvia burst up from the water, craning her neck back and flipping her hair out of her eyes. She'd been under for at least ten minutes, and even though she'd couldn't drown it still felt weird to go so long without air. When she lowered her chin, she was shocked to see a two pairs of wide eyes staring at her. She squeaked and ducked back under water.

"Juvia," she heard a voice call, the sound distorted by the water. Even still, she could tell exactly who it was.

With caution, Juvia rose back up (although much less dramatically than before). She slicked her hair back with one hand as she met Gray's eyes. She bit the inside of her cheek, suddenly shy. Everyone knew that she was a siren, but nobody outside of her family had ever seen her true form. Much less Gray and this companion of his that she'd never seen before.

"Hi," Juvia breathed, not knowing what else to say. Gray's eyes raked over her figure.

" _Hi?_ Why aren't you wearing any- Oh my God, _do you have a tail?_ "

"Um," Juvia answered hesitantly. "Yes?"

" _Why_ \- I mean, how-"

"Juvia poured salt in the pool," she interrupted, like that explained everything. Gray gave her a dubious look.

"And that means?"

"Juvia's legs transform in saltwater. Because she's a siren."

"A _goddess,_ more like," Gray's friend interjected. "I'm Lyon. And you're _gorgeous_."

"Easy," Gray growled, shoving Lyon off to the side. "You may be my cousin, but I _will_ knock you out."

"I'd like to see you try," Lyon taunted, pushing Gray back.

They continued to egg each other on, shoving and hitting like fifth grade boys. Juvia's brows pulled together, and she thought that they didn't get along very much for cousins. Their fight continued, and the pool started to freeze as the two's emotions grew out of control. Juvia yelped at the icy chill, drawing their attention.

" _Shit_ ," Gray hissed, pulling her out of the water.

"J-Juvia is f-fine," she reassured, teeth chattering.

"Woah," Lyon breathed, sitting down beside them. "Your _tail._ Can I touch it?"

It was a strange question, one that made her pause a little. It wouldn't be much different than touching the scales of a fish, which everyone seems to think is gross. However, the thought of someone touching her tail didn't really bother her. Juvia nodded, still thinking that the request was rather peculiar. Lyon stretched his hand out, but Gray slapped it away with a scowl. Lyon hissed.

"The fuck was _that_ for?"

"You don't get to touch her however you want," Gray bit out.

"And you do," Lyon hissed back.

Finally, Gray noticed that he still had Juvia cradled in his arms. His hands rested at the small of her back and the underside of her tail. Juvia was suddenly hyper aware of the warmth of his fingers. Gray drew his hands back like she was on fire (which she was, a little bit).

"Sorry," he muttered, looking away. Juvia shook her head.

"It's fine, really! Juvia doesn't mind," she reassured, getting a little bashful. "No one has ever touched Juvia's tail before."

"Really," he asked, surprised.

Juvia nodded. Hesitantly, Gray reached out to touch her tail. When he finally made contact, a weird sensation tingled throughout Juvia's body. Her scales didn't have nerve endings, so it didn't feel like he was touching her directly. The feeling was more akin to that of being touched through a thick layer of clothing. She could just barely make out the ghost of Gray's fingertips. But the touch jolted her all the same.

"Huh," Gray murmured, entranced. "So… Pretty."

Juvia flushed scarlet, her face rivaling Erza's hair. Gray didn't seem to notice, too caught up in the shimmer of Juvia's scales. He didn't seem to notice that he was ogling her until Lyon cleared his throat, elbowing Gray's side. Gray blushed even darker than Juvia, snatching his hand away.

"Well," Lyon said, breaking the awkward silence. "We were only here to see whose ice magic was better, but it appears that the pool is occupied. We'll leave you to your swimming, beautiful."

Juvia blushed at the nickname while Gray growled at Lyon. Lyon only laughed, hopping up to leave. But he'd been sitting too close to the pile of Juvia's clothes that sat at the pool's edge, accidentally kicking it over. He quickly apologized, crouching down to pick up the discarded materials. That was, until he found an object of interest.

"What are," he choked, skimpy black material dangling from his hand.

"That's," Juvia paused, almost too embarrassed to get the words out. "Juvia's _underwear._ "

The next few events happened rapid fire. Lyon, still gripping Juvia's underwear, got a nosebleed. Like, an honest-to-God nosebleed. Gray slapped the underwear out of Lyon's hand and punched him. In the face. And then he threw him over his shoulder in a surprising burst of adrenaline.

"Excuse my dumbass cousin," Gray bit out, face averted. "And the water shouldn't be cold anymore, so, uh. Yeah. Enjoy your swim."

He left with Lyon still over his shoulder, not waiting around for Juvia's response. She giggled, not as disheartened by his sudden exit as usual. She tested the waters with her fins, and Gray was right about the temperature. Juvia sighed as she slipped back into the pool, the water feeling nice against her skin. As she swam, she couldn't help thinking that something amazing had happened that day. After all, she'd never seen her Gray-sama get so flustered because of her.

* * *

Natsu's kind-of-girlfriend was trying to kill him. It was the last day of the semester, and Grimoire Heart was having a huge rehearsal party to kick off winter break. The party was at Mirajane's place which, of course, meant everyone was going to be there. Except Gray, that is. Because there was a reason that he never went to Juvia's band practices. But Lucy would have none of it.

"You're going," she'd demanded. "Juvia needs someone to cheer for her. She's the real star of the band."

"I'm sure she'll have plenty of other people cheering for her if she's the star," Gray griped, refusing to move from his spot on the couch. Could he not get some peace and quiet in his own damned dorm? Natsu and Lucy had gotten even closer lately, if that was even possible, and it sometimes felt like he had a _fourth_ roommate. Like Natsu and Happy alone weren't enough to handle.

"I'm sure you're right," Lucy sighed, looking somewhat resigned. "Meredy _did_ say that Lyon would be at the rehearsal. She's been kinda jealous lately, saying that he goes on and on about how gorgeous Juvia is. He'll probably cheer for her. Maybe he'll even ask her out afterwards…"

And that was how Gray got baited into going to this damned rehearsal party. Fuck. Why is someone so crafty hanging around with Natsu all the time? Lucy was some sort of evil mastermind, and Gray was pretty sure his roommate had the IQ of a potato. Life's mysteries really did befuddle him sometimes.

All the girls at this party were way more dressed up than last time. looking ready to go clubbing or something. Natsu had just about had a heart attack when he saw Lucy wearing this tight black dress, and Gray had been a bit worried that the idiot was gonna jump her. He'd always thought it was stupid when guys lost their damned minds over a girls in short dresses. Gray was immune to skin and cleavage. He'd ascended to another level of being, you could say, and skimpily dressed girls didn't even phase- _What in the hell was Juvia wearing?_

All members of Grimoire Heart had gotten dolled up for the party, treating the rehearsal as a mini-concert. Mirajane was probably behind it all. (She always did have a flare for the dramatic.) But still, Gray hadn't expected Juvia to dress up (or down) as well. Jesus Christ, the girl looked like walking sex. She was wearing this halter top with a plunging neckline, and her jeans were so. Damned. Tight. Could she even bend over in those? _No, don't think about Juvia bending over._

Juvia caught his eye from across the room, and he saw her fidget and bite her lip. Black lipstick. Why was that strangely _hot_? She fluttered her lashes the same way she always did, but it had Gray hypnotized like never before. Usually Gray didn't dig girls that wore so much eyeliner, but on Juvia… Lucy saw Gray's line of vision and smirked. _No, Lucy, don't-_

"Juvia," Lucy called, waving her over. Juvia made her way through the crowd, heeding Lucy's call like an obedient puppy. Or maybe it was just an excuse? Maybe she just wanted to come see Gray. Why did that thought please him a little?

"Hello," Juvia breathed, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"I love your outfit," Lucy gushed.

"Mirajane said Juvia needed more sex appeal," the siren glowered. "Juvia thinks such revealing clothing is distasteful."

"You look hot," Lucy reassured, smile bright.

"Um, thank you."

Juvia's eyes fluttered nervously over to Gray. Shit, was he supposed to say something? Lucy was definitely glaring at him like he was. Fuck! _What do I say?_

"You look good," Gray blurted out, immediately wanting to punch himself in the face.

"Really," Juvia breathed, grinning from ear to ear. "Oh, Gray-sama!"

Gray heard Lucy snicker when Juvia tackled him. He grit his teeth. Blondie was really getting under his skin. She was obviously trying to assume the role of wingwoman (his or Juvia's, he wasn't sure). But her "help" was more mortifying than anything. This had to stop, and now. How could he distract her? Hmm…

"Oh," Gray murmured, trying to sound nonchalant. "Is that girl talking to Natsu? Weird, I've never seen her before…"

" _What_ ," Lucy hissed, whirling around to see Natsu making perfectly polite (and totally platonic) conversation with one of the band's groupies. "Oh, _hell_ no. First Minerva, and now this skank?"

Gray raised an eyebrow as Lucy stomped over to intercept Natsu's conversation. She hooked her arm in Natsu's, probably not noticing him stare at her tits as they mashed up against his body. Lucy glared at the groupie, effectively scaring the young girl away. Possessive much? And what was that about Minerva? Gray thought she was hooking up with Sting…

"So," Juvia murmured, dragging him from his thoughts. "You came to see Juvia play? That's so sweet."

"It's not a big deal," Gray muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Lucy practically made me."

"Juvia still appreciates it," Juvia smiled, expression far more gentle than the sexy black makeup that framed her eyes and lips. "Juvia would love to stay and talk, but she has to help Mirajane set up the stage now."

"Sure," Gray nodded. "I'll talk to you after."

The smile she gave him was blindingly bright, and she flounced off to the stage with an extra spring in her step. He would never understand how every little thing he did could possibly make her so insanely happy. It made him feel kind of unworthy. Gray felt an arm wrap around his neck before he could delve too deeply into his thoughts, and the smell of whiskey made his companion known before he even set eyes on her.

"What do you want, Cana?"

"I want you to grow a pair and ask her out," Cana slurred, motioning over to Juvia with her cup still in hand. "You're clearly in love with her."

"I am _not_ ," Gray protested. "I'll never fall in love."

"Whatever you say kid," Cana singsonged, clearly not believing it. She clearly thought that Gray was claiming to be incapable of feeling the emotion, when that wasn't the case at all.

The problem was not that he wasn't able to fall in love. The problem was that Gray Fullbuster didn't know how to stop pushing people away. For God's sake, Natsu Fucking Dragneel was the closest thing he had in this world to a best friend, and the two got into fist fights on a daily basis. Maybe it was because he knew the consequences of being in love. Sure, it seemed great and all. But what happens afterwards? After you fall out of love? After someone leaves you?

Gray's parents were desperately in love. He remembers a time when he'd see them look at each other like they were looking at the stars. And he'd idly wish that he'd have that for himself one day. That was, until Gray's mom died. Mika's death had broken Gray's father, Silver, beyond repair. He was a different man, practically a walking corpse when compared to the boisterous ball of charisma he'd been before. Love, as it seemed, could destroy you as much as it could build you up. And that utter despair and desolation he'd watched his father go through had scared Gray off. Because nothing, not even love, could be worth the risk of breaking your own heart.

So, no. Gray wasn't open to loving Juvia. Because Juvia Lockser was not the kind of girl that could simply come and go into someone's life as she pleases. Well, not Gray's life at least. If he let her in and she left, she'd probably take a part of him with her. A big part. And he knows he'd never be the same.

"Testing," Mira's voice called out through the party's massive speakers. "Microphone check, one-two-three. Is everyone ready to go?"

The entire party screamed in response making Mira giggle and the other members of the band grin. Gray felt a bit of dread pool in his stomach as Mirajane took the mike. He watched Juvia's eyes trail over to the shapeshifter, expression bittersweet. _This_ was why he never went to their rehearsals before. Seeing Juvia stare longingly at the microphone and wondering if she wishes she was singing made a bit of his heart ache for her. She'd told him once that if she were a Normal, she would've been a singer. But she was a siren, and the risk was just too high for that. It was kind of tragic, in a way.

Gray noticed Juvia's eyes light up all of the sudden. Mira saw it, too, and she laughed. Juvia grabbed a shiny Fender strat from the corner as Mirajane waved her over to the mike. What was going on?

"Before we get started, I'd like to welcome a new member to the band," Mira grinned. What? Juvia had been with the band since they started. Hadn't she?

"Juvia's new guitar," Mira called out, followed by laughter and hollers. "She's been saving up for it for a long time."

"This guitar is Juvia's pride and joy," Juvia announced, grabbing the microphone. "Juvia has decided to name it Silver, after her future father-in-law!"

The room erupted into cheers, and Gray's face burned. His dumbass dad got along with Juvia too damned well. He once caught them FaceTiming when he got back early from hockey practice. Ever since Gray and Juvia had done some stupid project at his house a couple months ago, Silver had taken a liking to her. Not a week went by without him asking when Gray would bring his cute, little girlfriend over. Fucking annoying old man.

"Isn't that your dad's name?"

Gray whirled around to see Natsu standing behind him, a confused frown on his face. Lucy was over talking to Cana, no longer glued to Natsu's side. She must've calmed down after the threat was eliminated, letting Natsu go off on his own. Suddenly, her eyes were scanning the room until they rested on Gray and Natsu. She gave a relieved sigh before resuming her conversation with Cana. Maybe scratch the 'calmed down' part.

"Yeah," Gray muttered. "Weird coincidence."

"You know, I think Juvia might have a crush on you," Natsu said, crossing his arms. Gray rolled his eyes.

"You're _so_ perceptive, Natsu."

"Are wanting to fight, smart ass," Natsu hissed. Gray grinned.

"I mean, if _you_ want me to beat your ass," he said arrogantly. Natsu grit his teeth.

"You're lucky Lucy's here, or else I'd crush you."

"You're so whipped," Gray snickered. "Let me know when Lucy gives you back your balls."

"Shut the fuck up," Natsu laughed, pushing Gray in a surprising show of good humor. "You're just jealous that I've shared a bed with the prettiest girl in the room."

Usually Gray and Natsu had the same taste in women, which was yet another thing to fight over. During middle school they'd frequently battled over pin-up posters from Playboy like pokémon cards. They were both obsessed with exaggerated hourglass figures and sexy, feminine allure. Big boobs, wide hips, long hair, and pretty eyes. But for the first time, Gray found himself disagreeing with Natsu's preference (of the female persuasion, at least). Lucy was pretty damned cute, the type of girlfriend Gray would've envied back when they were thirteen. But he found his eyes drifting to the stage as Grimoire Heart started their set. Lucy was devastatingly good looking, sure, but she definitely wasn't the prettiest girl there. The prettiest girls had to have blue hair and ivory skin and eyes that could peer into your soul. It was, like, a rule or something.

"Wait," Gray said, halting in his tracks. "Did you just say you've shared a bed? What exactly do you guys _do_ over at her place?"

"Nothing that your _virgin_ ears should hear about," Natsu snickered, thinking he was so damned clever.

"You were on that field trip, too," Gray grumbled. "And you're so full of shit."

"Yeah, whatever. I'm gonna go find Lucy. You should shut up and listen to your future wife play. She's pretty damned good."

"Shut up," Gray muttered, diverting his attention back to the stage. The first thing he noticed was Mirajane's singing. She was known for having an amazing voice, and he certainly hadn't heard wrong. It was soft and melodious, and she had this natural stage presence that made it obvious why she was the band's frontman. Gray started to worry about Juvia again. She was just so soft-spoken and shy sometimes that he'd been surprised when he heard that she was even in a band. It definitely wouldn't be hard to feel outshined by someone like Mira. His eyes trailed over to Juvia only for Gray to be surprised by what he saw.

She looked at home, there on that stage. She seemed to completely forget about the way she looked, no longer fretting over her sexy outfit and excessive makeup. She was practically oozing confidence, and for good reason. Her playing was really fuckin' good. It kind of figured. Sirens' Dexterity was music, after all. Juvia probably played several instruments, and she was probably good at all of them. Her hands brought the guitar to life, and it was surreal when Gray realized that the instrument was really just a hunk of wood and metal with some strings and fancy knobs attached. She wielded it like Ultear would a wand, and as the set progressed she seemed to cast the audience under a spell. It wasn't magic, like her thrall, but it must've felt the way it would've to see a legend like Hendrix perform live.

Gray thought that he finally understood Juvia's ability, but he soon found out that he hadn't even scratched the surface. The last song, which everyone seemed to be holding their breaths for, was _unbelievable_. The vocals were flawless, the bass was loud and earth-shattering, and the drums were explosive. But Juvia's guitar part was far more subdued than it was during the earlier songs. Until they got to the solo, that is. That fucking guitar it possible for someone's hands to move so fast? Because Juvia was shredding the whole thing to _fucking pieces._

Gray remembered Lucy's words from before. _"She's the real star of the band."_ And, by God, Lucy had been right. Mirajane was beautiful and attention-grabbing, sure. But Juvia _shined_. It made Gray wonder how there'd ever been a time when he wasn't completely riveted by her.

Her tone was full and warm and slightly distorted in the best kind of way. The rest of the band seemed to fade away, and there was only Juvia. Gray couldn't even tell if the crowd was going crazy or if they'd been quieted in awe because any sound that wasn't the rich twang of her fingers plucking guitar strings was lost to him in those moments. He couldn't help but be riveted by her perspiration and wild hair and clenched eyes. Juvia had always been the type to let herself freefall, surrendering all of her being to her emotions. She'd always been able to just stop and let herself feel the experience, something that Gray had never been able to do. But now, he closed his eyes with her, letting the music run over him and awaken things that had been dormant in his chest for far too long.

The crowd was screaming when the band finished their set, every person in the room trying to grab a piece of Juvia's attention. But her eyes were trained directly at Gray, giving him her complete focus. And she smiled. Without delay, Juvia made her way through the crowd. Everyone was still going nuts, the crowd cheering and the band coming down from the highs their performance had given them. But the only thing Juvia cared about was being close to Gray. And then she was standing right in front of him.

Something welled up in Gray's lungs and branded his throat, trying to claw its way up and pour out of his mouth. _Heartburn_. He swallowed down words like bile. Phrases along the lines of, "You're fucking perfect" and "I want you more desperately than I've ever wanted anything" threaten make his tongue dance like ventriloquists would their puppets. He could feel their strings, pulling him in a million different directions and trying to force Gray to do their bidding. (It was a weird coincidence that all of these unseen forces were trying to make Gray pull her in closer.)

The rest of the evening followed the normal routine. Juvia's mind seemed to travel to a fantasy world (one that Gray sometimes wishes he could visit, too), and she attacked him several times with hugs tight enough to make him pop. Natsu and Lucy tried to pretend that there wasn't a shit ton of sexual tension between them, ignoring Mira and Levy's teasing observations. Elfman and Ever had a fight and broke up- which only lasted twenty minutes until someone found them in a coat closet together. Erza pulled Ultear and Meredy aside to talk in private. She wasn't fooling anyone. Even Natsu knew that she was asking them about her childhood friend that'd been shipped off to a detention center for juvenile delinquents. Nobody knows why Erza doesn't just go and visit the guy herself, but the question remains unasked. Some things are just too private to pry into.

The only rift in the routine was how unspeakably breathtaking Juvia looked to him now. It was like the universe had decided to shine a spotlight on her these past few days, screaming at Gray to notice her. To look at her. To be captivated by her. When he'd seen her burst up from the water a few days before, his heart had just about stopped. As a kid, he'd always had a strange fascination with mermaids. And when he met Juvia, he ignored the whispers from deep within his own subconscious that told him it was meant to be. But seeing her dripping with saltwater and covered in scales that glittered under the low lighting did something strange to a part of himself which he'd always denied the very existence of. The same part of him that clenched in yearning when he saw her perform.

Around midnight, when the party seemed to die down a bit, Juvia asked Gray if he would walk her home. Juvia had always been more of an introvert, preferring to leave the party earlier than others. Gray was an introvert, too. At least, that was his excuse for always being one of the first to go home. He never quite pinned it down to the fact that parties were always a little less fun without Juvia there. Or that he'd never once refused to walk her back to her place.

On the way back, Gray rubbed at his neck. It was exposed to the cold, and the weather had decided to take a turn for the worse in the past week. He noticed Juvia rubbing her hands to keep warm, trying to breathe hot puffs of air on her chilled fingertips. Her stupid pea coat was thick and woolen, keeping her arms and torso warm. The damned thing had about a million buttons, but it didn't have pockets. Why did women's clothing always omit simple, necessary things like pockets? Gray took one of her hands and weaved his fingers between hers, bringing their clasped hands to rest in one of his coat pockets.

"You should probably get some mittens," he murmured, frowning at the thought of Juvia's trembling fingers icing over. What did they always say? _Cold hands, warm heart._ However inconvenient it was, Gray supposed the expression was rather fitting in this case.

Juvia only nodded, cheeks the prettiest crimson. Gray could tell it wasn't just from the cold. He sighed, reminding himself that touching her always gave her ideas. At the same time, he couldn't ignore the small sense of pride that swelled in his chest. He tried to, really. But every time he managed to beat it back, Juvia would peak up at him from under her lashes or give him one of those unwittingly heartwarming smiles. When they finally reached her place, she leaned up and gave him a chaste brush of her lips on his cheek before heading inside. He just about exploded.

When Gray got home, he didn't even bother turning the lights on. The day had been even more emotionally exhausting than he'd been expecting, and all he could muster the will to do was stumble in the dark and collapse into his bed. He thanked whatever powers that be for his miraculous stripping habit, which somehow rid him of all his clothes between the entryway and his room. Gray burrowed beneath his covers, staring up at the mind-numbing white of his ceiling. He ran through the day's events in his mind, tying logic to every action and motivation to every word. It was how he coped when things got difficult. But there was one area of his life that only got more and more confusing as his analysis ran deeper.

Gray had spent way too much of his life staring at his bedroom ceiling, trying to figure out what Juvia Lockser was to him. That night, Gray finally narrowed it down to one of two options. Savior. Executioner. Juvia somehow teetered on the line between angelic and deadly. Though he'd never admit it, she was sometimes the only reason Gray got out of bed in the morning. She made his chest uncomfortably warm and his thoughts uncomfortable muddled. But she might very well be the death of him- something Gray would also never admit. _Savior. Executioner._ Opposite ends of the spectrum, side by side and divided a single border. And the line was only getting thinner.

* * *

 **I hope you guys enjoyed it! Gruvia is gonna be taking off in a couple of chapters, don't you worry. My editor-friend-person has been pestering me for more NaLu, so it's coming next. I think you'll like what I have in store...**

 **XOXO, Mya~**


	14. Linger

**A/N: Happy New Year! So excited to kick off the year with this chapter! It only goes up from here, my friends. ;) Thank you for all of the lovely reviews. The Gruvia from last chapter wasn't everyone's thing, but they were all still super positive. I went two whole chapters without writing in a bunch of NaLu, so I might've gone kinda... _overboard._ You tell me. XD This chapter is SUPER long, and for good reason. I don't want to spoil any surprises, so without any further ado:**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Lucy woke up to light streaming in through her curtains and the sound of the old lady that lives upstairs playing jazz music. Normally, this was one of her favorite ways to wake up. But she'd been up so damned late at Grimoire Heart's rehearsal party that any disruption of her sleep cycle was an unwelcome intrusion, meant to be regarded with irritation and hostility. She clamped her eyes shut, trying to go back to sleep. When she shifted a bit, however, she noticed the presence of a warm appendage wrapped around her waist. It surprised her a little, even though it shouldn't have at this point. This wasn't the first time that she'd woken up to find Natsu in her bed.

This was, however, the first time that she wasn't attacked by lust upon the realization. As much as Lucy hated to admit it, Minerva's chocolate trick had been doing wonders for her self control. She ate the stuff like it was going out of style, and it payed off. For the first time, she could enjoy the warmth Natsu's close proximity brought without the gnawing pain in her gut that usually accompanied. And it was _nice._ It made something warm and welcoming swell in her chest. It was different than the all-consuming heat of lust, but it somehow felt more jarring. More powerful.

Natsu rustled, waking up. She listened to that little click he did with the back of his throat, trying to get the moisture back in his mouth. Happy was at their feet, purring a little as he nestled into the covers. Natsu groaned and lifted his arm from her waist, presumably rubbing at his eyes. He didn't move his body from Lucy's, still spooning her from behind. She could feel all of the lines of his body pressed against her back. It made an embarrassed flush rise to her cheeks.

"What time is it," Natsu croaked, voice still groggy from sleep.

"Early," Lucy rasped, breath hitching when Natsu looped his arm around her waist again.

"Mmm," he groaned. "Go back to sleep then."

"What time does the bus come, again?"

"Never," Natsu muttered. "I'm never getting on another bus ever again."

"Natsu," she groaned, tone warning.

"... Nine."

"We should probably get up," Lucy murmured, moving to get out of bed.

"No," Natsu griped, clutching her waist tighter and burrowing his face into her neck. Lucy's face warmed. His breath on her neck was jumbling her thoughts, making it difficult to speak.

"Natsu," she whined, struggling in his grip. "I want your family to like me. And they'll like me a lot more if I get you there on time."

"She liiiiiiikes you," Happy murmured, too tired to put any real energy behind his voice.

"Shut up," Lucy groaned, throwing a pillow at the blue furball. Natsu chuckled.

"Don't worry, they'll love you. You're Lucy."

Her heart clenched almost painfully. Only Natsu could make her feel so special with a few simple words. Like when he'd invited her to come home with him for the holidays- well, demanded, actually. She'd been lamenting how lonely her Christmas would be. She had no family to go home to, and everyone would be gone for break. At which point Natsu had looked at her like she was an idiot.

" _Are you stupid?"_

" _What?"_

" _You're spending Christmas with me and my family. Duh."_

He'd said it like he was pointing out the obvious. "Of course you're coming home with me. We're a team." It did strange things to Lucy's chest. Things far beyond the realm of Crush-y Feelings and closer to the realm of Hopelessly in Love. She tried to ignore it because it frightened her a little. More than a little, actually. Much, much more. She remembered Minerva's words from before. " _A succubus can only fall in love once._ " If she fell and Natsu didn't feel the same? Then she was dead. Or even worse: _heartbroken_.

It was eight o'clock by the time Natsu finally let her crawl out of bed. Thank God she'd already packed her duffle bag- and made Natsu do the same. Natsu took a shower while she brushed her teeth and washed her face. They switched places after he finished, and Lucy tried not to ogle his naked torso as they passed each other. The chocolate wasn't _completely_ foolproof, apparently.

She caught Happy trying to eat the lunches she had packed for the train. Which was to be expected, and was why she'd made two for everybody. Happy teased her for making her lunch consist entirely of chocolate, telling her she was already fat enough. _That_ didn't go over well.

She had to practically shove Natsu and Happy out of the door. They made a mad dash for the bus station, Lucy almost tripping several times. Natsu and Happy, of course, thought her clumsiness was _hilarious._ In the end, they made it to the bus with thirty seconds to spare.

"In the bag you go," Lucy grinned wickedly, forcing Happy in her duffle bag. " _No pets allowed._ "

"I'm not a pet," Happy muttered, but Lucy could only hear the sound of sweet, sweet karma. The cat had been blackmailing her for weeks, threatening to tell Natsu that she had a crush on him if she didn't deliver tuna sandwiches on the daily.

Natsu gagged as soon as the old bus rumbled to life. His motion sickness was a terrible as ever. Lucy didn't complain when he whined and nestled into her neck, lips twitching in a smile. It was nice to feel needed, especially by someone that she needed just as much. She rubbed comforting circles along his back, reaching her other hand up to twine in his hair.

"I hate all modes of transportation," Natsu declared, sounding like he was going to barf.

"Except animals," Lucy reminded him.

"Animals are friends, not vehicles."

"Sure, sure," she hummed, massaging his scalp. "It's kind of weird, though. That you get motion sickness, I mean."

"It just makes me think of bad memories," he groaned into her neck. She waited for him to elaborate, and he sighed upon realizing that she probably wouldn't let it go.

"I told you that I was an orphan," he started, voice shaky. "Anytime I'm on a vehicle like this, it makes me think of all those long car rides to and from all the different foster homes I went to. Not to mention the times I was stuck in the back of a police car-"

"Police car," Lucy repeated, voice incredulous.

"I told you, I was troubled kid. Anyways, that's why I'm weird about stuff like this. I feel like I'm some lonely, pathetic foster kid all over again, and it makes me feel sick."

"You're not pathetic," Lucy chided, voice soft. "And your motion sickness isn't _that_ bad; you haven't even puked on me once."

She'd been trying to make light of the situation with a joke, but Natsu only clutched her tighter. He pressed his face closer to the crook of her neck, his lips brushing the skin there. Lucy's heart went into hyperdrive, flushed heat spreading throughout her body. She'd never realized until Minerva's clever tip about the chocolate that so much of her attraction to Natsu was purely her own. It was alarming, and it would've been so much easier to just blame these urges on her succubus nature.

"Maybe," Natsu whispered, pulling Lucy from her thoughts. "It's 'cuz you're here. I don't feel so alone anymore."

Lucy gaped like a fish, trying to figure out how to respond. Luckily, Natsu fell asleep after a few moments. His soft snores brushed against her collarbone in little huffs of air. His whispered words could've just been the ramblings of someone on the verge of sleep- nonsensical mutterings to be taken lightly. But they had to be more important than that. At least, if the stinging of Lucy's eyes and her lungs' sudden inability to take in air was any indication. But whether or not Natsu had been serious about what he'd said, Lucy knew one thing for certain:

She felt less alone since meeting Natsu, too.

* * *

Natsu didn't remember his family being so damned _embarrassing._ Like, he loved them and all. But _damn._ He'd given them a heads up that he was bringing a friend home, but apparently it was some sort of huge deal that his friend was a girl. Which, despite what Wendy said, did _not_ make her Natsu's girlfriend (even though he desperately wished they lived in a world where Lucy wasn't so out of his league).

Igneel and Grandine were acting like Natsu had never had a female friend before. They'd practically dragged Lucy into the dining room and forced chocolate chip cookies down her throat before she could even introduce herself. He couldn't tell why they were making such a huge deal about it. For God's sake, he'd introduced _Lisanna_ to them Freshman year, and she'd actually been his girlfriend at the time. He reminded them of this fact (and saw Lucy frown out of the corner of his eye- weird). Grandine's chuckled response only embarrassed him further.

"Natsu," she laughed, tone almost chiding. "You and Lisanna were cute. But I don't remember the two of you being so touchy-feely."

He sputtered, feeling the blush warm in Lucy's cheeks from where he sat. Which, he hadn't noticed until then, was pretty damned close to her. Natsu had pulled her chair flush against his, and his arm was casually thrown over her shoulders. Did he really touch her that much? It felt right, and Lucy had never said anything about it before. In fact, she was the one who initiated contact half of the time.

"We're not touchy-feely," Natsu muttered. His father just grinned, not even bothering to point out that Natsu still had his arm wrapped around Lucy.

"So, you go to school with Natsu," Grandine asked warmly, smiling at Lucy.

"Yeah," Lucy said, cheeks still flushing from the earlier embarrassment. "Natsu is the one that brought me to FAEA, actually. I really don't know where I'd be without him."

"She liiiiiiikes you," Happy teased. Natsu's cheeks warmed. _If only._

"Shouldn't you be playing with Carla?"

Happy's eyes lit up like the Fourth of July, and he flew off in a hurry. Igneel and Grandine laughed, but the only sound Natsu could focus on was the tinkling of Lucy's giggle. God, he loved that sound.

"Who's Carla," she asked, grinning.

"She's an Exceed like Happy," Wendy smiled. "She's probably curled up by a window somewhere."

"I wish Happy did that," Lucy snorted. "He usually winds up in my dresser with one of my bras on his head."

"That was hilarious," Natsu snorted, cackling at the memory. "Your face was almost _purple._ "

"It wasn't funny," Lucy hissed, swatting Natsu's arm. "He flew outside, and I had to chase him around the entire neighborhood!"

"Happy's always been a troublemaker," Igneel laughed, voice booming. "He gets that from Natsu. Grandine and I were almost overwhelmed when we took him in. He was constantly pulling pranks and trying to break as many rules as possible."

"I'm sure," Lucy grimaced, nudging Natsu's side.

"I have no clue what you guys are talking about," Natsu grinned, eyes devious. "A troublemaker would have already attacked Lucy's _weak_ _spot_ by now."

"Natsu," Lucy gasped, eyes wide and worried. "You don't mean-"

" _The tickle monster._ "

Lucy screamed and ran out of the kitchen, sprinting up the steps. Natsu gave her a brief head start before chasing after her, laughing almost maniacally. He barely noticed his family's amused chuckles. And he pretended not to hear his father's yelled order to "Keep the bedroom door open!" Why did _that_ even matter? Oh. _Wait._ Natsu grit his teeth. _Stupid, embarrassing Dad._

He tracked Lucy down, finding her in his bedroom. She was standing still in the center of the room, gaping at the wall. It took him a second to realize what she was staring at- his paintings. The room was plastered in canvas and oil paint, scenes of burning buildings and fire-breathing dragons covered his room. They were filled with violence and rage, and everything was _red._

"Are these… Did you paint these?"

"Uh, yeah," he stammered, nervous. "I mean, they're kinda disturbing, so I get it if you don't-"

"They're _amazing_ ," she breathed, stepping forward to brush her fingers along smears of deep burgundy. "I never knew that you painted."

"It's my Dexterity," he explained, embarrassed by her awestruck expression. "My hands, remember? I'm a finger painting prodigy, I guess."

"I can't believe you did all of this. That's," she paused, whirling around to face him. " _That's_ why you smelled like turpentine! When we first met, I mean. And you had paint smudges on your fingers. That explains so much."

"You remember all that," Natsu chuckled, sitting on his bed.

"Of course I do," Lucy murmured, pink dusting her cheeks. "Meeting you was probably the most important thing that ever happened to me."

It was a good thing that she turned back to further appraise his paintings, as Natsu's face promptly went aflame. Because having your best friend/one true love say that meeting you was the most important event in their entire life can do that to a person. He wondered how he came to be so close with someone so ridiculously perfect.

"Do you not paint anymore," she asked, leaning in to observe a sword-wielding knight. "I think I would've noticed you painting before."

"It was just my way of dealing with those nightmares," Natsu explained, seeing Lucy's eyes light up in recognition. "But then you were in my dreams, and eventually they stopped all together. So I don't really feel a need to paint these anymore."

"Why do you think that is," Lucy asked, brows furrowed in concentration. "You have those dreams for so long, and they just stop?"

"I told you already. It's 'cuz you're here."

"That doesn't make sense," Lucy muttered, face red. "I don't know what I could've possibly done."

"Maybe you're so weird that you scared the dreams away," Natsu teased, laughing at the way her cheeks puffed in indignation.

"Am not!"

"Don't worry," he grinned, standing from his bed to loop his arms around her waist. "Even though you're _super_ weird, I still like you."

Natsu's grin dropped when he heard Lucy's heart rate go out of control. Her face was red as a tomato, and he could practically feel the heat rolling off her skin in waves. She was… embarrassed? No, more like flustered. Whatever it was, her body's response to Natsu's words made his pulse jump. He cleared his throat, hand unconsciously shifting down towards her hips.

"Uh, Luce-"

" _I have to go to the bathroom,_ " she squeaked, scurrying out from under his arms and practically running out of the room.

Natsu sighed and flopped back onto his bed. He thought that Lucy had gotten over this weird, easily-flustered stage a couple of weeks ago. She'd stopped running away every time he tried to get closer, and she sometimes was the one to pull him into bear hugs and hold his hand. She'd even stopped yelling at him for sneaking into her bed at night. He'd thought… Well, he'd thought that he might've actually stood a chance- thought that maybe she could fall in love with him, too. At least, maybe in the future.

Natsu turned over and groaned into his bedspread. Lucy falling _in love_ with him? Yeah, right. Some things were too unbelievable to hope for.

* * *

This was bad. Kind of. Actually, everything was going great. Natsu's family was as warm and welcoming as she'd always thought they would be, quickly accepting her as something akin to a second daughter. Christmas had gone swimmingly, of course. There was an enormous feast, as expected of Natsu's family. A monstrous turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes, and a rich cheesecake for dessert. The night ended with everyone curled up by the fire playing Monopoly. Natsu complained about it the entire time, but Lucy wasn't fooled. His grin was brighter than all the lights on the Christmas tree.

Happy ended up dominating the board game, by the way. He struggled at first, but there was no going back once Lucy told him to pretend that the paper money was fish. The cat was a straight up _fiend._ An evil mastermind on par with Machiavelli. No one else stood a chance. But it was fun. Lucy felt happy, almost giddy from how amazing her company was.

And Lucy felt cared for, more appreciated and loved than she'd ever felt before. Grandine was openly affectionate, gracing everyone with hugs and warm smiles. Wendy took after Grandine, sharing the same soft demeanor and healing hands. It might've been because they were both nymphs, Wendy a nymph of the sky and Grandine a nymph of the air. But both of them were so kindhearted and gentle that Lucy decided it was more nurture than nature.

Igneel, however, was lively and rambunctious. The loud rumble of his voice was enough to shake the house, and his personality seemed to light up a room. Much like a certain half-dragon that frequently snuck into her bed. Natsu and Igneel were both bold and vivacious. Fearless and shameless, but filled with so much compassion. You'd never expect someone so loud and attention-grabbing to be so selfless and warm. But Igneel and Natsu were so attentive towards others that their constant presence in the spotlight was clearly the result of their charisma rather than something they actively sought out. It was probably what made them both so incredibly lovable.

So yes, Lucy was having more fun than she'd ever had around this time of year. But all of this closeness made it damned near impossible to keep all of these _feelings_ from spiraling out of control. Seeing Natsu help his mom carry groceries and roughhouse with his dad and ruffle his little sister's hair did something dangerous to Lucy's heart. She always thought that she'd be jealous after seeing Natsu with his family, but it only made her feel warm. Included. His family was such an extension of himself that it felt like she was just getting to know another side of Natsu. She saw flashes of him in Igneel's brazen laughter and Grandine's kind eyes and Wendy's bright smile. Seeing them together was like putting the last few pieces of Natsu's puzzling personality into place.

Lucy could no longer deny that there wasn't a single part of Natsu she didn't adore. And that was frightening. _A succubus can only fall in love once._ Minerva's words played in Lucy's mind like a broken record. If she let herself fall in love, this would be it. Natsu would be the only one for the rest of her life. The reasonable voice in her head told her that she couldn't fall in love now. She was too young, and couples that started out in high school rarely last. Not to mention that she had no clue if Natsu would ever be able to reciprocate her feelings. But the whimsical voice that resonated in her chest told Lucy to go for it. To spread her arms like angel wings and let herself fall.

On New Year's Eve, the Dragneels played charades and danced around the living room to 90s music. Natsu and Lucy had won the game, utilizing their uncanny ability to communicate solely with obscure hand gestures. ( _Train! Food poisoning! Rent money! X-Men!_ ) After Natsu collected their winnings- an awesome batch of Grandine's chocolate cupcakes- Igneel put one of his old records on and swept Grandine into his arms. Natsu grabbed Wendy's hand and spun her around the living room, making her giggle. Lucy smiled at the sound, leaning her face into her palm from her place on the couch.

The whole scene was so picturesque. They were the perfect family in their own quirky way. Parents that were still madly in love. Protective older brother and his sweet little sister. She wanted it for herself one day. As a girl, she'd always dreamed of falling in love and having a big family. Finding out that she was a succubus had shattered those dreams, especially when she started fearing that she would one day share her mother's fate. But the idea had been plaguing her since Minerva told her more about being a succubus. Maybe Lucy could settle down with a fellow SuperHuman and have a bunch of rugrats one day. Kids with brown eyes and pink hair…

Lucy almost fell off the couch when she realized where her train of thought was heading. _Danger Zone._ She was _not_ allowed to fantasize about having kids with Natsu. _Children._ That can't be normal. She knew that she didn't want kids anytime soon. But there was no denying that the thought of tiny creatures with Lucy's nose and Natsu's smile warmed her inside. And Natsu would probably be a great dad someday. He was fun and energetic, but that wasn't all there was to him. Natsu was so understanding and unexpectedly tender. Maybe the two of them together would actually be-

"What's on your mind," A gruff voice grumbled. Lucy squeaked, looking up to see Igneel kneeling in front of her. Natsu had taken Igneel's place, doing lame disco moves with Grandine while Wendy spun around with Happy and Carla.

"Nothing," Lucy rushed to say, seeing Igneel's unbelieving look. "Really."

"Impossible," Igneel scoffed. "Natsu says you're quite brilliant, so you must be thinking about something."

"Natsu exaggerates," Lucy muttered, bashful. Igneel laughed.

"That he does. But if Natsu sees so much potential in you, it has to be there. My boy has a keen eye. So tell me, what has you so pensive?"

"It's just," Lucy stammered, averting her eyes. "I've always wanted a family like this. My mom died a few years ago, and my dad was always too wrapped up in his business to spend time with me. It's nice. You guys are so kind that it's almost hard to believe sometimes."

"That sounds terribly lonely," Igneel murmured, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "But you're welcome here, Lucy. It seems that you're part of Natsu's family as well now."

"Yeah," Lucy hummed, her eyes glued to the smattering of freckles that covered the bridge of Natsu's nose. "Natsu's the first person that's ever made me feel like I belong somewhere."

Natsu's eyes flashed over to her, and Lucy realized that he could hear their entire conversation. Lucy's cheeks bloomed scarlet, and Igneel laughed at her clear embarrassment. Lucy groaned, putting her head in her hands. Natsu kept dancing with Grandine, but his eyes never left her frame for more than a few moments. It was almost unsettling, making molten heat pool in her stomach.

"Natsu is amazing in that regard," Igneel murmured, smiling at his son. "It must be that fierce dragon loyalty."

"Dragons are loyal," Lucy asked, mind flashing back to the beast of Natsu's nightmares. Igneel chuckled.

"Why, of course. I have dragon blood in me, too. Mine remains dormant, however. But even though I don't have the powers, I still get flashes of the Dragon's instinct. They're incredibly powerful," Igneel said, giving Lucy a serious look. "Dragons are protective of their family, and their friendships last a lifetime. They're strong and courageous and also terribly romantic."

"Romantic," Lucy repeated, eyes flashing over to Natsu. She could tell he was gritting his teeth from across the room, anticipating whatever embarrassing secrets Igneel was about to divulge.

"You didn't know," Igneel asked teasingly, smirking at the red that graced the tips of Natsu's ears. "Dragons mate for life. Once they find their soulmate, they stick with them. Forever."

"That's," Lucy faltered, her mind flashing to her succubus heritage. "That's incredible."

"It is," Igneel smiled. "Dragons take love very seriously. That's why Grandine and I were so surprised that-"

"Quit tellin' Lucy weird stuff," Natsu interrupted, plopping down on the couch next to Lucy. "You better go dance with your wife, old man. Or else she'll finally realize she's too good for you."

"Grandine would never leave me," Igneel scoffed, putting Natsu in a headlock. Natsu laughed, but it was Grandine's soft chuckle that caught Igneel's attention.

"I don't know," she teased, crossing her arms. "I might need some convincing."

Igneel gave a hearty laugh, taking Grandine into his arms. Natsu rolled his eyes at their antics, grinning to himself. There was a softness in his smile that made Lucy's breath catch in her throat. _Don't fall in love. Don't fall in love._ Lucy tried to shake herself from the fuzzy feelings swelling inside of her, but they multiplied faster than she could bat them away. Like a virus. Like a cancer. She couldn't help but to think that this wouldn't be the worst way to go.

"Have you been having fun," Natsu smiled, drawing her attention. "I know my family's kinda lame-"

"Your family is wonderful," Lucy scolded, almost blinded by the love that radiated from him at those words.

"Yeah," he whispered. "They are. And you are, too."

"You've had too much egg nog," Lucy muttered, face warm.

"Seriously," Natsu reassured, eyes terribly earnest. "You're awesome, Luce. I don't think the holidays would've felt right without you."

Lucy was too close to falling. If she didn't fight it right now, she'd hit the point of no return. She'd be in love with her best friend, most likely forever. She felt her stomach clench in anticipation, like it did the moment before arriving at the top of a rollercoaster. Right before everything came crashing down. She had to stop this. She flailed around for some way to stop herself, some way to break this connection she was feeling before it became too unbearably permanent.

"What if," Lucy murmured. "What if I told you I've been lying this whole time? Would you still think I belong here?"

"What are you talking about," Natsu frowned, growing anxious when she continually refused to meet his eyes. "Luce, you're kinda freaking me out-"

"I'm a succubus," she whispered, ashamed. "That's my SH type. That's why I never told you."

Natsu went quiet. Lucy clenched her eyes shut, not wanting to see the expression she knew she'd find on his face. It was the one thing she'd always kept from him. Her biggest secret- her greatest shame. It was the part of herself she hated, and now Natsu knew. Would he still say that she's wonderful? Would he still even want to be friends with her after she told him the truth? Her thoughts were interrupted by the rough caress of his fingers on her chin.

"Hey," he said softly, making her eyes flutter open. "That doesn't matter to me."

"What," she gaped, eyes watering. "Natsu, I just told you that I'm essentially a human _parasite_ -"

"You're _Lucy_ ," he hissed, his tone almost reprimanding. "You'll always be Lucy, so the rest doesn't matter. And now we're gonna dance."

"Wha-"

Natsu didn't give her the chance to speak, pulling her from the couch. Lucy wiped at her eyes, noticing Wendy's worried look and Grandine's encouraging smile. She almost squealed when Natsu suddenly spun her by the hand, sweeping her up into his arms to slow dance. He frowned at her stiff shoulders, pulling her in closer in an attempt to make her relax. Her frame grew even more rigid, if possible, but she felt herself calm down after a few moments. Maybe a little too much. Her pulse slowed, and she practically melted into him as the warmth settled over her body.

"Do you really," she murmured quietly, voice hesitant. "Do you really not mind?"

"Of course I don't care," Natsu scolded, a bit exasperated. "You could be a goblin, and I wouldn't mind it. It's part of what makes you Lucy, so I could never hate you for it. Besides, being a succubus isn't _that_ bad. You could be worse."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah," Natsu teased, brushing her nose with his. "You could be a fire-breathing monster with scales and claws and horns."

"Ha ha," Lucy muttered, rolling her eyes. Natsu grinned.

"If it makes you feel any better, I already kind of knew."

"Wait, _what_?"

"Sting might've mentioned it," Natsu said, giving her a nervous smile. "During the fight. It was before you came into the gym. I wasn't gonna believe it until I heard it from you, but-"

"I'm gonna _kill_ him," Lucy growled, fist clenching in Natsu's shirt. "I don't care what Minerva says, I will rip off his arm and beat him with it."

"Sounds like fun," Natsu snickered, pulling her closer. "Sign me up."

"Don't tempt me," Lucy muttered, resting her forehead against his shoulder and tightening her arms around him. She felt a low rumble vibrate his chest and smiled, her stomach clenching in anticipation again. It felt like she was at the edge of a cliff again, ready to jump off. She still wasn't ready. Maybe, with a little time. Maybe she could let herself fall in love next year. But not _now_. Lucy was jolted from her thoughts when she heard what sounded like gunshots firing in the distance.

"Fireworks," Natsu laughed, catching her eyes. "Happy New Year, Luce."

"Happy New Year, Natsu."

The song changed, making Lucy pause for a second. It was a song she liked. Soft. Heartfelt. Yearning. It spoke to her now, pulling at her heartstrings like never before. She hummed along, noticing Natsu's amused eyes.

"Having fun," he teased, eyes sparkling like the tinsel that still hung over the fireplace.

"I like this song," Lucy said, wistful. "I think my mom used to play it."

"I think I would've really liked your mom," he laughed, stealing the breath from her lungs.

"Yeah. She would've really liked you, too."

~ _But I'm in so deep / You know I'm such a fool for you~_

"You're pretty good at this," he murmured, twirling her around by the hand he held.

"My father made me take ballroom dance in middle school," she grimaced, following his lead with practised ease. "I hated it." He laughed.

"Do you hate this too," he asked with a smirk.

"No," she said softly, voice entirely too earnest for his joking question. "I like dancing with you."

Natsu blushed, and the gooey parts of her heart screamed at how incredibly endearing the action was. He noticed her attentive eyes and tried to distract her from his embarrassment by twirling her again. But it was clumsy, and they almost toppled over. Giving up on the sophisticated floorwork, Natsu settled on lifting her off the ground by her waist. She squealed in surprise as he held her high, spinning in circles with her above his head.

Lucy was still laughing when he set her back down, cheeks pink with mirth. She looked up at him, eyes widening when she saw the expression on his face. He was smiling at her, lips pulled up in a grin so achingly fond that it made her heart hurt. Natsu looped his arms around her, rocking them side to side as they slow danced in place. She reached up to wrap her arms around his neck, quickly becoming lost in him.

Lucy fell a little bit in love with everyone she met- she couldn't help it. Loving people was a part of her soul. She was in love with the way Levy scrunched her nose while she read and Gajeel's nervous habit of scratching his left ear when the pixie was too busy studying to pay attention to him. She was in love with the maternal way Erza cradled people to her chest when they needed comforting and the blush that dusted Gray's cheeks when Juvia gave him her infamous surprise-attack hugs. But Natsu? For him the list never seemed to end.

Lucy was in love with the way he'd ruffle his hair and yawn when he first woke up. She was in love with his vexation with her front door and his inability to stay quiet during scary movies. She was in love with the way he'd rub the back of his neck when he got nervous and the depth of his voice when he got serious. She was in love with the way his eyes changed color in the light and the wicked waggle of his brows when he was about to do something naughty. She was in love with the indentation on his lower lip from being bitten too many times (He always denied the habit, saying it was too girly.) She was in love with his protective streak and his recklessness and his bravery and every part of what made him _Natsu_. And she was in love with the warmth he made her feel, so unlike anything she'd ever felt from anybody. And she was about ninety nine percent sure that she'd never feel it for anyone else ever again.

There were little things about everyone that Lucy was in love with. But Natsu was this terribly perfect compilation of little things wrapped up into a person with the ability to make her heart skip a beat and her mind turn to mush. And the littlest thing of all, a soft smile he gave her as they slow danced to The Cranberries in his parents' living room, was what pushed her over the edge. The knotting and twisting in her stomach finally dropped, and she let herself fall. Lucy Heartfilia was madly in love with Natsu Dragneel, and she had no hope of escaping.

"I like dancing with you too," Natsu said after a moment, voice as tender as the moment they were sharing.

He pulled her in closer and rested his chin on her head, squeezing her tight in his arms. She sighed and nestled into his chest, feeling her eyes tear up. It had been longer than she could remember since she'd been so at peace. And she didn't know if she'd ever in her life been so unbearably happy. No, she couldn't escape the hold that Natsu had over her. But when Lucy was there in his arms, she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to.

 _~Got me wrapped around your finger / Do you have to let it linger?~_

* * *

 **So, y'all probably have a mouthful of cavities by now. . This chapter was so much fun to write. Some of you were asking about Natsu's foster family, and now you finally have some answers! This chapter was just the fluffiest, gooiest thing. I really hope you guys liked it. (I noticed that I get really anxious before posting chapters I really like** **because I'm afraid you guys won't like it as much. Like, I LOVE chapter 12. And I was TERRIFIED that y'all would hate it! O/O)**

 **It's getting real. Please leave reviews! They're my sustenance. I'll be hard at work on chapter 15 ( _15! Can you believe it?_ ) So in the meantime, follow, favorite, and all that jazz. I hope you guys have a lovely New Year! XOXO,**

 **~Mya**


	15. Falling for You

**A/N: Hello! School's been crazy for me, and it's probably only gonna get crazier from here on out. (Like Natsu and Lucy, I'm in my senior year right now.) So I decided that I need to get back on a schedule instead of writing during my free time** **because then I wouldn't get anything done. I'm thinking about doing two updates a month, on the first and the fifteenth. Sound good? I wish I could do weekly updates like I used to, but I just don't have the time.**

 **Anyways, thank you to all of my lovely reviewers! The last chapter was so much fun to write (fluff city, much?), but hopefully this chapter is just as good. Things are starting to get... _serious_. Lemme know what you guys think! I hope you enjoy. :)**

* * *

 _January_

It was the night before the second semester of school started, and Lucy was wide awake. This wasn't an uncommon occurrence. Lucy spent many nights tossing and turning, especially since Natsu had started claiming a spot in her bed. Strangely enough, she'd gotten great sleep at his family's house over break. Maybe it was because she got to sleep surrounded in his bonfire scent. She'd stayed in his childhood bedroom while he took that couch downstairs. (Natsu had tried to sneak into bed with her one night, which did _not_ go over well with Grandine.) Lucy had even napped on the bus after they'd left his family's house. Natsu had chosen to sleep back in his dorm when they got back home, and Lucy was exhausted from the ride back to Magnolia. She'd passed out the second her head hit the pillow. But strange… _feelings_ had woken her from sleep.

Everything felt _hot._ Her face, her chest, the coil tightening in her stomach. There was no part of her that wasn't on fire. The ghost sensation of water sliding down her skin threw her off, but when she checked her covers her bed was still dry. It felt like she was in the shower? Euphoria soon sliced through all rational thought, and Lucy could do nothing but throw her head back and _feel._ _What's going on?_

Lucy's thighs quivered as she felt the heat in her belly expand and the muscles clench tighter. She could feel hands skimming down her stomach, going lower and lower. They were warm and rough and-

" _Oh_!"

Lucy's hips bucked, and desperation flooded her bones. Her arousal was intense, twisting and knotting and growing until it was almost too much to bear. _Gods_ , it felt- It felt so-

 _Good._

" _Ah!"_

And Lucy was shaking. It felt like someone was there, _with_ her. Someone hot and heady, unrelenting in their administrations. She knew that no one was there. She was alone in bed, and only the darkness of her bedroom accompanied her. But she gave into the fantasy, roaming her hands over her own body and pretending they were _his_. With only the dim moonlight as her witness, Lucy let herself whisper Natsu's name as she gave into the sensations. She whimpered into her pillow as she became overwhelmed by the flames that burned her. It muffled the sound when she cried out for the final time, waves of pleasure rippling through her. She was left gasping, wondering what in the hell had just happened.

"Did I just…?"

Oh, yeah. She did. She'd done it once or twice before (because the heat and lust that plagued her sometimes got too intense to bear). But Lucy had never had anything like _that_ happen before, and it was totally intense and completely out of nowhere. It became nearly impossible to sleep after that, her mind in a flurry. What exactly brought _that_ on? She couldn't get over the sensation of being touched. Had it just been her own love and lust and yearning that'd made her think of Natsu? If so, her imagination had grown even more vivid than she'd ever remembered it being. Those hands had felt exactly like his, with the heated, calloused skin that Lucy would know anywhere. But there was no way he could've-

The confusion kept her awake. All. Night. Long. By the time she left for school she'd decided that this _had_ to be a succubus thing. Which meant Minerva (although Lucy was still sorta pissed with her) would have the answer. Minerva always seemed to have the answer- or, at least, she pretended to.

Lucy cornered Minerva at her locker that morning. Minerva rolled her eyes when she saw Lucy heading her way. _Whatever_. Minerva could bitch and complain all she wanted, but Lucy needed answers. Answers that Minerva would possess because surely Lucy wasn't the only one who'd ever experienced… whatever had happened last night.

"No," Minerva said, shaking her head after hearing Lucy's story. "That's never happened to me."

"Ugh," Lucy groaned. "If it's not a succubus thing, how else can I explain that I- that I-"

"That you woke up to an orgasm last night," Minerva interrupted, ignoring Lucy's embarrassed flush. "There are worse things. But it might still be a succubus thing. Well, a demon thing, actually."

"What's the difference," Lucy asked, following Minerva as she walked to class.

"Technically 'demon' is a blanket term. There are several types of demons. Demons of Rage, Greed, Lust… That's what we are, by the way. _Libidinem daemonio._ Fancy Latin for succubus, but you probably already knew that. There are some things that are specific to each type of demon. Spells they specialize in, battle tactics, appearance. But there are some traits that all demons share. Certain combat skills, powers of persuasion, and their sense of smell."

"I didn't know that," Lucy frowned, crossing her arms. Minerva rolled her eyes.

"I could write a Stephen King-sized book about the things you don't know."

Lucy growled, itching bite out a snarky response. The most infuriating thing of all to Lucy was an insult to her intelligence. Lucy's anger turned to pain when her index finger started throbbing. She gasped, flinching at the sudden ache. It felt like a million needles were jabbing into the skin there. Her mind suddenly flashed to that time in the utility closet a couple weeks before. _Minerva is your Lilith._ The voice wasn't her own, but it reminded her that she wasn't supposed to disrespect her superiors. Lucy bit back another growl, clenching her fist.

"Thank you for the amazing demon trivia," Lucy said sarcastically. "But can we get to the part that explains what happened to me last night?"

"It sounds like you experienced something vicariously through someone, which is another thing exclusive to demons. That kind of connection could only mean you've formed a _Cupla_ with someone."

"A _Cupla_ ," Lucy repeated, wondering if that was a term she was supposed to know. "What are you talking about?"

"Demons are able to share a psychic link with other demons," Minerva explained, rolling her eyes like this was elementary stuff. "It's a lot like Meredy's empath ability, but it can only work with a fellow demon that you share a strong emotional connection with. A _Cupla_ lets you feel exactly what the other is feeling- both emotionally and physically. And the range for this link is far greater than any empath could ever achieve. If two demons are linked, they could be halfway around the globe and still feel each other. It's an incredibly powerful bond, and it's also incredibly rare."

"So how is this link achieved," Lucy asked, curious. "Is there a certain spell, or-"

"All you need is complete faith in one another. You have to give yourselves to one another completely, without any lies or secrets getting in the way. No spells. No tricks."

"Then how is it rare," Lucy asked, perplexed. "I mean, that doesn't sound like something _that_ hard to achieve."

"Ever heard the phrase 'No honor among thieves'? It's pretty much the same. No trust among demons. All demons ever do is lie and deceive each other. It'd be impossible to find two demons that truly trust each other. I'm talking about real trust- the kind that would make you jump off a building with the blind faith that the one you believe in would catch you. That kind of trust is already hard enough to find amongst humans, and they're idiots."

"Wow," Lucy mumbled, deep in thought. "That sounds… intense. But how is that possible? I don't even know any other demons. Unless you-"

"Trust me, Blondie. Your _Cupla_ isn't with me. I don't trust anyone enough for that," Minerva scoffed, crossing her arms. "And you sure as hell don't even trust me enough to lend me five bucks. Let alone Bond with me."

"Then what," Lucy sighed, her mind a whirlwind. "I can't possibly be Bonded with anyone."

"Oh, really? There's no one," Minerva drawled condescendingly. "There's no one on this entire planet that you'd trust with your life?"

Instantly, Lucy's mind flashed to pink hair and wide smiles. Natsu? No, that couldn't be. He was half dragon. Not an incubus or whatever else Minerva was suggesting. Yes, Lucy trusted him. She'd give him her entire world if he asked for it. But that didn't change the fact that Natsu wasn't the same SH as her.

"But he isn't a- I mean, he's not," Lucy stammered. Minerva smirked.

"I'll let you in on a secret, Heartfilia. There are dozens upon dozens of demon classifications. Along the way, some of the common knowledge in Demonology 101 got lost. A little known fact? Fire demons used to also be known as _Dragons_."

The bell sounded as Lucy stood there, slack jawed. Minerva snorted at Lucy's apparent shock and turned to leave, going to meet Yukino at the end of the hall. Dragons were _demons_? Did Natsu even know that? He couldn't have. Lucy hadn't come across that particular slice of information in all of her studies over the past few months, and she'd had access to the enormous library of a school meant exclusively for supernatural beings. Minerva, with her stupid demon upbringing, was practically a walking demon encyclopedia filled with all of the juicy tidbits that her school's history books never recorded. And, speak of the devil, she'd turned back to look at Lucy mischievously.

"If I were you," Minerva called from down the hall. "I'd be less interested in how this all works and more interested in what your little lizard-boy was doing so late last night."

Lucy promptly choked on her own spit. Because the idea of Natsu doing… _that_ made her brain go stupid. Despite Lucy's memories of their first and only kiss at Mira's party after they first met, she'd never seen Natsu do anything overtly sexual. She'd fantasized, sure, but real life was supremely different from the images her mind conjured up. The thought of Natsu actually touching himself made her mind foggy and dazed.

If Lucy hadn't been so wrapped up in her thoughts, she might've caught Natsu's scent earlier and bolted. But it was too late, and didn't notice Natsu coming until he and Gray were rounding the corner. Lucy panicked, irrationally fearing that they'd be able to read her mind or something. Mind a jumble, she uttered a disguise spell under her breath. It wouldn't make her invisible (only witches had that much power), but it would hopefully make her harder to notice.

" _Mutabo_ ," Lucy murmured, tucking herself into a little alcove as they approached.

Gray and Natsu stopped at their lockers, unwittingly standing within a few feet of Lucy's hiding spot. Natsu was heckling Gray about Juvia, poking fun of Gray's apparent fear of just asking the poor girl on a date. Lucy felt a twinge of guilt for eavesdropping. The only reason she'd hidden was to prevent the awkwardness of seeing Natsu with the idea of him in all of his naked glory fresh in her mind. Maybe she should just sneak away while she could and-

"Jesus fuck," Gray hissed, slamming his locker door shut. "Juvia coming over for Christmas _doesn't_ mean I have the hots for her. My dad invited her over because she was all alone. That's it."

"Sure," Natsu drawled, obviously not believing him. "I'll buy into that the same day you convince me that you didn't really groan her name in her sleep."

" _Natsu._ "

"And I'll pretend that I don't know what you do with that photo you keep under your pillow-"

" _I_ wasn't the one jacking off in the shower at two in the morning," Gray hissed.

"Shut the hell up," Natsu hissed back, sounding embarrassed. "Are you some sort of _pervert_?"

"You're calling _me_ a pervert? It's not my fault that you're so goddamned _loud-_ "

"I'm not- Stop talking. You're a fucking idiot."

Lucy's heart stopped, and her face caught fire. _Oh, goodness._ Minerva was right. It really had been Natsu whose physical sensations Lucy had shared. She remembered the feeling of water sliding over her skin when she'd been in her dry bed. Their conversation was affirmation of Minerva's suspicion that Natsu and Lucy had somehow formed a _Cupla_. Lucy's head spun, unable to focus on anything but what the realization meant. Natsu had- Last night she'd _felt_ him-

She shouldn't be surprised. Natsu was a healthy teenage boy. This was a normal thing. But the mental image bombarded Lucy, and it became impossible to think about anything other than what Natsu's face might look like twisted in pleasure. Her stomach tightened, and her vision started to blur. She fisted her hands in her skirt, trying to calm her erratic pulse. _Not now._

The insufferable lust was back full force. This wasn't supposed to be happening. The chocolate was supposed to fix this unfortunate side effect of Lucy's succubus heritage. Was it her fault this time? Was it because the lust was completely her own? Lucy's internal conflict was interrupted by a sudden growl. Her head jerked up, startled by the noise.

Natsu was standing predatorily with his fists clenched and his back hunched. His breathing was ragged, accompanied by a low rumble in his chest. His canines looked… _sharper_? Everything about him was off. He was almost more animal than human in that moment. It should've made Natsu's demeanor intimidating, but Lucy's attraction to him only grew more severe.

"What's wrong," Gray asked, sounding worried. Natsu didn't respond. Gray shook his shoulder, trying to get Natsu's attention.

"Natsu!"

Natsu snapped out of his predatory daze, jerking away. He gasped, face going pale. His breath grew shallow, and he shook his head in an attempt to rid himself of whatever had been bothering him. Warmth flooded Natsu's cheeks, entrancing Lucy further. Everything about him made her want to reach out and touch his skin. _Gods_ , she just wanted to _feel_ him.

"Sorry," Natsu gulped, swiping a hand over his face. "I- I thought I smelled something."

"Something bad? Is it dangerous," Gray asked, looking around the school hall for threats.

"No," Natsu groaned. "Well, maybe. It's- Just forget I said anything. We have to get to class anyway. Let's go."

They finally left, and Lucy didn't hesitate to bolt in the opposite direction. She couldn't go to class like this. She could barely _walk_ like this. The heat building in her stomach made Lucy's legs wobble, and the room spun around her. She'd never skipped class before, but it was the only option now. Maybe hiding out in a dark corner of the library with a few bars of chocolate would calm her down. Here's hoping.

* * *

Natsu had been a mess of hormones and desperation since New Year's Eve. He never realized how much comfort he received from just _touching_ Lucy until he was no longer able to. Well, it wasn't like he was forbidden from touching her, but his family was so damned embarrassing that he'd restrained himself as much as possible. When he finally had a chance to wrap his arms around her (slow dancing is such a good excuse to hold someone), it was like the blood in his veins turned to molten lava. Everywhere that his body came into contact with hers was burning, and it was the only fire that Natsu had no hope of controlling.

When they got back to Magnolia, he'd headed back to his dorm instead of her apartment. He didn't trust himself not to jump her if they were alone together. He thought that maybe he would even get a full night's sleep if he wasn't in her immediate proximity. _Yeah, right._ Somehow, even in the solace of his room, Natsu could still _smell_ her. Like she was there with him. He was going insane with want. Every cell of his body was aching for her.

So after hours of tossing and turning, he'd decided to take a shower. A _cold_ shower. Maybe the freezing temperature would distract him from thoughts of warm eyes and pink lips and creamy skin. Gray and Happy were sleeping (it was pretty late at that point), so Natsu made sure to be quiet as he closed the bathroom door and blasted the icy water on high. He hesitantly pulled his clothes off and got in.

The cold temperature had made him gasp, flinching away from the stream of water. In response, his body heat flared and warmed the water up before it even his his skin. _Shit._ It wasn't working. He could still smell her, her scent some potent combination of honey and coffee and fresh roses. He'd never thought much of the scents on their own (his favorite smells were always dark chocolate and cedar wood), but they drove him wild when they were together. Or maybe it was because the smell was synonymous with golden hair and fleshy thighs and _Lucy._

The cold shower really wasn't working. Natsu's mind was still full of her, consumed by images of her collarbones and her neck and her mouth. The mere thought of her was enough to turn him on and set his body aflame. He groaned, resting his forehead on the cold tile of the shower's walls. It did nothing to cool his head. And the more he thought about her, the… _harder_ it became to think about anything else. His entire body was rigid with need, and it didn't take long for Natsu's self-control to crumble. Natsu gave in and cranked the water up to a nearly scalding temperature, groaning in relief when the steam wafted around him.

When Natsu finally skimmed his hands down his torso and reached the place where he was aching to be touched, he sighed in relief. He gripped himself tight, hips bucking into his hand. Pleasure jolted up Natsu's spine, making all the muscles in his body stiffen. There was a bit of guilt there as well. It would be a lie to say he'd never done this while thinking of Lucy, but he'd always felt ashamed while doing it. It was basically an unwritten rule that you're not supposed to masturbate to fantasies of your best friend's mouth all over your body. Natsu felt like he was violating her. She'd definitely be disgusted with him if she knew. But it was the only way to make all of this unbearable heat go away.

Almost out of nowhere, his arousal doubled in intensity. Natsu felt the ghost sensation of soft hands tracing patterns up his thighs, and it made him whine in pleasure. His pace quickened, and sparks of electricity shot up his spine. His legs began to tremble, feeling like they were about to give out beneath him. It was almost too much. He groaned, loud and desperate. He was _almost there_ -

Natsu could've sworn he heard Lucy whimper his name. It must've been one of his fantasies. He'd certainly never heard her voice sound so breathy and needy in real life (especially not while saying his name). But the sound felt more real than any fantasy ever had. It was like she was in the room with him. It was enough to push him over the edge. He finally came, biting his lip to keep himself from moaning her name. He didn't want to wake his roommates, after all.

The next day, Gray made it known that Natsu did in fact wake him up. Which was so embarrassing that Natsu couldn't even formulate a proper sentence. He silently thanked whatever powers that be that he hadn't given into the temptation to groan Lucy's name. Gray _really_ wouldn't have let Natsu hear the end of it if that'd happened. Not that Gray didn't already give Natsu shit about being hopelessly in love with her.

Natsu didn't realize that anything was up until he got to first period. He'd fully expected Lucy to be in class already, waiting for him. She was usually early to school, which was something Natsu frequently teased her over. But she still wasn't there when professor Nab started taking role. Natsu grew restless, looking around for any sign of blonde hair and heart-wrenching smiles. He jerked out of his thoughts when he felt a delicate hand tap his shoulder.

"Sorry," Yukino murmured in that soft voice of hers. "I was just going to ask if you were okay. You seem kind of worried."

"Nah," Natsu reassured her, trying to shake off his anxiety. "I'm just kinda confused. I don't know where Lucy is, and she's usually here by now."

"Oh," Yukino murmured, eyes lighting up in recognition. "Of course. You guys are a cute couple."

"Uh," Natsu blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. "We're just friends. Really."

"Sorry," Yukino gasped apologetically. "I just assumed-"

"It's fine," Natsu laughed. "My parents thought we were dating, too."

"Well, I think I saw her this morning. She's definitely at school. I'm pretty sure she was talking to Minerva-"

" _What_ ," Natsu grit out, feeling bad when he saw Yukino flinch. "Sorry, just- Do you know what they were talking about?"

"I have no idea," Yukino said, frowning. "They weren't fighting, but Lucy looked troubled. I don't know where she went afterward. I heard Minerva say something about you, I think? Well, not by name, but she called you 'lizard-boy'. That's all I know."

Natsu thanked Yukino for her help and gathered his stuff, ignoring Gray's confused look from across the room. He told Nab that he was going to the nurse and left without waiting for permission. He needed to find Lucy. She never seemed to be in an okay place after talking to Minerva, and Natsu was worried that Lucy was off somewhere raging from their alleged conversation. Or worse: Crying. Natsu would _end_ that vicious harpy if she said anything to make Lucy cry.

Natsu tried to hone in on Lucy's scent, following an aroma of sunshine and flowers that led him to the library. There was something different about the smell. It was still undeniably Lucy, but something about it made goosebumps rise on Natsu's skin. He finally narrowed down the X-factor to sweat and hormones. It smelled like excitement. A very particular kind of excitement that made Natsu's stomach clench. What state would Lucy be in when he found her?

Natsu was surprised to find Gildarts actually manning the desk when he walked into the library. He was doing something on his computer, brows furrowed in concentration. Natsu heard his fingers pounding on the keyboard with a barely-contained ferocity. And then a creak and the snapping of plastic. Gildarts cursed, obviously having broken something or other. Natsu grinned as he approached. _Same old Gildarts._

"One second, kid," Gildarts grunted, not looking up. "I've just gotta fix this stupid- Oh, Natsu. It's you. Whaddya need?"

"I'm just here for a book," Natsu lied. "I'm gonna head to the SH section."

"You? Here for a book? I never thought I'd see the day come," Gildarts teased. "Do you need me to show you around?"

"No," Natsu groaned, rolling his eyes. "I can handle it."

"And I'm sure you can handle that pretty blonde, too. Since she's probably why you're really here. Have fun. And try not to bring down the building."

Natsu's brow twitched while Gildarts went back to fiddling with mangled pieces of keyboard. He should've known better than to lie to a prophet. It was all too easy to forget that Gildarts was Cana's dad. Especially when he so often feigned ignorance and kept out of other people's business, which was something Cana should try to do more often.

Natsu headed to the back, following the trail of Lucy's scent. It got stronger as she grew closer, and he bit back a groan. She really did smell too good. He thought of the scent he'd caught earlier, when he'd been talking to Gray. It was so intense and robust that The Dragon had taken over. Natsu had _never_ experienced anything like that. The Dragon took over when Natsu was angry, yeah. But it'd never taken over at any other time. And that smell hadn't made Natsu angry in the slightest. It made him wild and lust-crazed. It made him want to find Lucy and take her in front of a roomful of people, so everyone would know that she was _his_. It made him want to pull whimpers and moans and screams from her pretty lips. It made him so hot and desperate that he didn't even feel like himself.

Natsu clenched his eyes shut and pushed the thoughts from his head. _Find Lucy and see if she's alright._ He had to protect her. He had to make sure she was okay. He had to make her feel safe. _Find Lucy and comfort her. Wipe away her tears if she's crying, and grind into her until she forgets her own name-_

Dear God. Maybe he was a greater threat to her than Minerva. He couldn't even control his own damned thoughts. Natsu didn't know why he suddenly felt so horny. But the closer he got to her, the more his body tingled. He was thinking about turning back and getting away when he saw a glimpse of gold through a gap in the bookshelves. Natsu's blood sung and echoed throughout his entire body, erupting in a symphony of desire that sounded a lot like her name. He could no longer stop his feet from bringing him closer to her.

Natsu saw her entire body stiffen when he was finally right in front of her, no longer obscured from view by rows of bookshelves. Her eyes widened with something akin to fear, and hurt ricocheted through his lungs. He'd never seen her look afraid of him before, but now she was literally _shaking_. Did he do something wrong? Natsu started to have an irrational fear that she somehow knew exactly what he'd done the night before and that she hated him now. But that was completely absurd. She couldn't possibly have found out.

"What are you doing here," Lucy finally breathed, backing away a bit. Natsu saw her legs tremble. Was she really afraid of him?

"You weren't in first period."

"I'm not feeling well."

"Was it Minerva," Natsu growled, seeing Lucy bite her lip. "I swear, if she-"

"We just talked," Lucy interrupted, taking a step back when Natsu moved in closer. "I'm really fine, so just go-"

"Did I do something wrong?"

Lucy blinked at him, confused. As if she wasn't just backing away from Natsu and telling him to leave. She must've seen the hurt and disappointment written all over his face because she suddenly grew panicked, moving in as if to reassure him. But when she got close enough to touch, she flinched away again and drew into herself.

" _No_ ," she insisted, looking away. "This is my fault, not yours."

"It's not you, it's me," Natsu repeated dubiously, crossing his arms. "You're gonna have to do better than that, Luce."

"Really," she said, shuddering as she backed even further away. "It's just a succubus thing. I'll be fine."

Realization shot through Natsu like a bullet, and he moved in even closer until he had her cornered. She flinched away from him, and Natsu could hear her heart going a hundred miles an hour. Of course it was a succubus problem. He knew that a succubus was supposed to feed off of sex. But he also knew that Lucy was a virgin. He could smell it on her, all of his senses screaming at him to make her his mate and rectify that little fact. This could only mean that she wasn't feeding. He'd meant to ask her about it over break, but the question was too awkward to bring up with his family around 24/7.

"Don't you need to feed," Natsu asked, voice low and rushed.

"I- I'm supposed to, but-"

"Feed from me."

Seconds ticked by, and Lucy just gaped at him. _I think I broke her._ Natsu's cheeks warmed, and he suddenly felt like an idiot. Of course the offer would shock her. She was probably thinking of a nice way to let him down. Gods, he was such an _idiot_. He prepared to backtrack, to either play off his words like a joke or some casual offer he didn't mean. Even though he totally meant it. Even though the thought of other guys feeding her- of other guys taking care of her, of other guys _touching_ her- nearly drove Natsu up the wall.

"But- I thought dragon's mated for life. That has to be a really big deal for you," Lucy whispered, voice thick with an emotion that Natsu couldn't describe. "Especially because you're a- You're a virgin, too."

"I don't want you to starve yourself," Natsu murmured, which was only a half-truth. He also was sort of in love with her and wanted her more than he'd ever wanted anything, but that was beside the point. "I'd do it for you, Luce."

"I," Lucy stuttered, face flushed with the prettiest red. "I couldn't possibly ask you to do that. We shouldn't-"

She cut off there, too embarrassed to say what they both knew she meant. They shouldn't have sex. They shouldn't cross that barrier of physical intimacy that would put their friendship in such a weird place. Natsu understood. Sex would change everything, and he respected Lucy too much ( _loved_ her too much) for a Friends With Benefits situation. But it still hurt. It still felt like she wasn't saying _That would be too complicated_ , but rather _I don't want you._ He pulled away a bit before feeling her grip his shirt.

"Natsu," she stammered, unable to meet his eyes. "Even though we shouldn't- I mean, I can still feed. Even if we don't- We could still-"

"Lucy," Natsu urged, rubbing her arms in an attempt to calm her down. It only made more flustered, if possible. "What are you saying?"

"We don't have to have… to have _sex_ for me to feed. I could just feed from you a little bit," she said, biting her lip. Natsu's face warmed.

"How?"

"Just," Lucy paused, her next words leaving him stunned. "Kiss me."

Natsu's brain was fried. This was too much information to process. Lucy Heartfilia wanting his lips on hers? He was dreaming. This was all some incredibly vivid fantasy. But as the next few moments passed, it finally sunk in that this was reality. Lucy had really just told him to kiss her. To feed her, sure. But that was just a tiny detail.

"You want me to kiss you," Natsu asked, disbelieving. Lucy flushed.

"Just to feed me," Lucy whispered, embarrassed. "But you don't have to-"

She stopped talking when Natsu rested his forehead on hers. Lucy's hands clenched his shirt tighter, and she peaked up at him. It took all of Natsu's willpower to suppress a growl. He brought his hand up to cradle her jaw, his thumb resting in the curve of her cheek. She gave a little sigh that set Natsu's heart on fire and leaned into his hand. After a moment's hesitation, he finally brought his lips down to meet hers.

At first, Natsu brushed his mouth against Lucy's so softly that they barely touched. His heart seized up, and he felt like it'd finally give out at any moment. This was _Lucy._ His Lucy. And the fact that she was letting him touch her like this made Natsu's head spin. The second kiss was less tentative, but it was still gentle. He kissed her fully, wondering how someone's lips could be so soft and plush. She tasted the same way she smelled. Honey and coffee and roses. One would've guessed that she'd taste sweet, like vanilla or her cherry chapstick. But that was too light and faint to describe the way Lucy tasted. Her taste was warm and rich, and it made Natsu's tongue tingle. He needed more of it.

Natsu's tongue swiped at the seam of her lips, and they opened willingly for him. And then he could taste her- really taste her- to the point that he barely held back a moan of her name. Lucy whimpered and clutched him tighter, her tongue rubbing against his as she pressed herself harder against him. Natsu growled and pushed her up against a bookcase. Neither of them noticed several of the books tumbling off the shelves and hitting the ground.

Lucy tore her mouth away, needing air, but this didn't stop Natsu. He ran his lips along her jaw and up to her ear, taking it between his teeth. The breathy moan she gave him was positively _orgasmic_ , and he felt himself strain against the confines of his pants. Natsu gripped her waist and rubbed himself against her, grunting in pleasure at the delicious friction. Lucy cried out, burying her hands in his hair and tugging. It made a hunger for more jolt down his spine and pool in his gut.

Natsu's hands trailed down to the flesh of her ass and squeezed, earning a gasp. She got the message when he pulled closer against him, jumping up to wrap her legs around his waist. His hands trailed down to grip the back of her thighs as his mouth traveled across her skin on its way back to the drugging sensation of her lips. He groaned when he finally got the taste of her on his tongue again, senses overwhelmed with honey and coffee and roses. It made his stomach drop and his heart clench with yearning. There was nothing like the feeling of being surrounded by her. His mind couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to actually be buried inside of Lucy. Which only served to make Natsu painfully hard.

He sucked on Lucy's tongue and groaned, savoring the whine she gave in response. The knowledge that he gave her pleasure made heat expand in his chest, and he wanted nothing more than to keep pulling those sweet gasps and moans from her. Natsu soon found out that it was when he used his teeth that he really hit the jackpot. When he nibbled on her lower lip, her hips bucked against his. Natsu cursed and ground himself against her, making the entire bookshelf rattle. Lucy keened and responded in like, erasing Natsu's ability to think. He busied himself with the crook of her neck, all tongue and teeth and hellbent on marking Lucy's skin for himself.

" _Natsu_ ," she gasped. Her voice reminded him of the breathless whimpers he'd fantasized about the night before. This was the only way he could explain the fervor that fueled his next few actions.

Natsu gripped her thighs. Hard. Later, he'd fret over the bruises he left there, and Lucy would bat him away in embarrassment. But in that moment, he didn't even care. His mouth landed back on hers, trying to claim it so completely that she'd still be able to taste him hours later. Gods knew that he'd be able to remember her taste even as he lied in bed that night. Natsu thrust his hips against hers in a way that was almost savage in its unbridled ferocity. Lucy tore away from his lips with a loud, needy moan of his name. And then they started to fall. Like, they seriously started to fall over.

Natsu yelped and gripped Lucy tighter, throwing their weight back in the opposite direction. He heard the bookshelf crash down just before they hit the ground. Natsu groaned in pain, rubbing his head where it hit the floor. Lucy hissed and massaged her knee, which had also absorbed some of the impact, apparently. He saw her turn around to see the massive fallen bookshelf and all of the books that lay scattered on the floor. The bookshelf that was behind it wobbled precariously, having been clipped by the other one before it fell. _Oh, no._

The second bookshelf fell, hitting another on its way down. It was like watching a horrifying game of dominoes. One after another after another. Natsu saw Lucy flinch at the sound of each fallen bookshelf, and he winced when the last one finally hit the floor. Natsu looked around to survey the damage. Every single bookcase on the top floor was knocked over. Every. Single. One. Just thinking about how Gildarts was gonna chew him out for this was enough to kill his boner.

"Lucy?"

"Yeah," she asked, voice shaking.

" _Run_."

* * *

 **(INSERT PERVERTED LAUGH) I hope you guys liked it? Way steamier than my usual stuff, but it's only getting more extreme from here. Tell me if you have any wishes or suggestions. I aim to please, after all. Have a lovely weekend, and you'll hear from me again on the first!**

 **~Mya**


	16. All The Way

**A/N: OH MY GOD. I can't believe how awesome a response I got from the last chapter! Thank you guys for all the awesome, positive reviews! (I am not worthy!) It's absolutely insane to me how much this story has grown and how popular it's become over the past couple months. The only fan fiction I'd ever written before this was a super embarrassing Twilight fic that I published when I was twelve that I gave up on. So I almost didn't start writing this** **story when the idea came to me because I figured I'd just lose inspiration and quit again. But I haven't! Good thing I wrote this anyways, huh?**

 **I'm so sorry that I haven't been answering all reviews personally anymore! I wish I could, but between studying and writing I only have time to answer a few. I still read EVERY review, though. Reading reviews makes my day, and I just want to send a huge THANK YOU to anyone who has ever taken time out of their busy schedules to leave me a review or a PM. You guys are the reason I keep going, even if I get slammed with work or writer's block threatens to stall my writing. I seriously appreciate you guys.**

 **I hope you enjoy this!**

* * *

 _February_

Surprisingly enough, Gildarts didn't tear them a new ass over what will forever be referred to as "The Bookshelf Incident". He'd caught them before they could escape the library and made them clean it up, lounging in an armchair and sipping mojitos as he watched them work. Natsu had complained the whole time, claiming that the bookshelves fell over all on their own. He shut up when Gildarts suggested they review the footage from the library's surveillance cameras to see if Natsu's claims were correct. Gildarts's knowing grin made heat flood to Lucy's cheeks. _Stupid prophets thinking they know everything._

When they were about halfway through cleaning, Lucy looked up and caught Natsu staring at her. He quickly looked away, but it was too late. Lucy's heart clenched, and it felt a little difficult to breathe. She wanted to ask him about the kiss. She told herself that she kept quiet because Gildarts was there, but it was a lie. She was scared of what he'd say. She was afraid that she'd been the only one feeling… whatever _that_ had been. She nearly jumped out of her skin when Natsu's hand brushed hers as they reached for the same book. Natsu rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment and apologized, although she didn't know what for. When they were done cleaning, he walked her home. Neither of them brought up the kiss the entire time.

Natsu and Lucy's relationship delved into an extremely complicated and incredibly fragile state of being in the weeks after that day in the library. On one hand, everything was the same as normal. They joked around like idiots, laughing and carrying on. Lucy kept Natsu out of trouble, and Natsu brought more fun and laughter to her life than she'd ever known before meeting him. He and Happy frequently barged into her place, much to her chagrin. And Lucy pretended that she wasn't completely in love with him. So, yeah. Their relationship was still kind of the same.

The only real difference was the obscene amount of time they'd spent making out on Lucy's couch over the past couple of weeks. To feed Lucy, of course. (That was her excuse.) Her head had practically exploded when Natsu first propositioned her. Every cell in her body was screaming at her to take him up on his offer, and there was a moment when she almost said, "yes". Thankfully, her brain had started working again just in time to stop her from making such a huge mistake. She couldn't _force_ Natsu into a situation like that. Talking to Igneel had confirmed how serious romantic endeavors were for dragons. She wouldn't want to take advantage of Natsu's kindness just so she could have her way with him. Besides, Lucy wanted Natsu to really _want_ to be with her if their relationship took such a serious turn.

Lucy was weak, though. She should've just turned him down altogether, but his chameleon eyes and inviting lips were calling to her. She could use her hunger (which was borderline agonizing at that point) as an excuse to kiss him. Only that once, and only because she felt like she would suffocate if he didn't breathe life into her in that very moment. But she didn't expect that kiss in the library to be so _electric._ And she certainly didn't expect anything like it to ever happen again. But Lucy's life never turned out how she expected.

It was two days after The Bookshelf Incident that they'd wound up alone in her living room, watching scary movies on TV. They still hadn't mentioned the kiss in the library, and she was almost convinced that it'd all been a dream. Natsu was chomping on popcorn like it was going out of style, and Lucy was curled up at the other end of the couch. Her skin was buzzing with anxiety due to her just being in the same _room_ as him. The fact that it was dark and she could still feel his lips on hers every time she closed her eyes only intensified the feeling. She'd nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt Natsu's hand on her shoulder.

"Lucy," he said, getting her attention. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she breathed, inching closer to him. He smelled like cinnamon and cedar wood burnt in a bonfire. The scent alone was enough to make Lucy's mouth water. She shuddered.

"Are you," he gaped, eyes suddenly clouded in concern. "Are you hungry again?"

Lucy thought about the hidden implications that question entailed. _Are you hungry again?_ She knew he wasn't asking about food. Not real food, anyways. He wanted to know if she was in the same shape as the other day. He wanted to know if her succubus lust was beyond her scope of control. Lucy knew how to tell when her "hunger" got out of hand. The muscles in her lower stomach would clench tightly enough to make her double over in pain, and her vision would start to blur. Her thoughts would become a jumbled mess of sexual nonsense, and the _heat._ At the worst of times, it felt like someone was lighting her body on fire. It was always excruciating to go through her states of hunger, which was the exact opposite of how she felt in that instant.

The warmth between her thighs and the fluttering thrum of her pulse and the electricity that crackled in the air only make little shudders of delight tingle up her spine. She felt the lust, but it was completely her own. The only hunger present was the constant hunger that she always felt for him. Lucy just wanted Natsu to touch her, to _feel_ her. That desire alone clouded her mind. She didn't even want to take his energy or feed from him. It was most likely a side effect of being hopelessly in love with her ferocious little dragon, rather than that of being a "Creature of the Night".

But more than Natsu asking if she was alright, he was asking something else. She heard the silent question in the strain of his voice and the nervous bite of his lip. _Do you want me to feed you again?_ If Lucy gave the word, he would kiss her senseless. He would wrap her up in his arms and work her into a frenzy with his warm, chapped lips. He'd make the world disappear with his hands and teeth, and she wanted that more than anything. She wanted him so much that it hurt. She wanted him enough to take advantage of him, which was something she'd spend many nights fretting over.

"Yes," Lucy said, her words holding some truth despite their being a lie. "I'm hungry."

It took no further prompting for Natsu to seal his mouth over hers, leaning forward and pressing her into the couch. Lucy had a vague thought in the back of her mind about how weird it was to be kissed like this while someone was getting violently murdered on her television. The terrified screams and squelching of blood should've been a turnoff, but the way Natsu suckled on the swell of her lower lip was too distracting for Lucy to successfully retrieve the remote and change the channel. Her mind went quiet when Natsu did something wonderful with his tongue, effectively shutting down her train of thought altogether. Natsu Dragneel was apparently able to literally kiss her stupid.

It was during one of these makeout sessions that their first fight (their first real fight, anyways) had sparked. They were in Natsu's room, mouths working furiously against each other. Happy was out getting groceries with Gray, which left the apartment alone to the two of them. No chances to be interrupted. Both of them had agreed to keep their arrangement a secret from everyone else (no one would understand that their relationship was still hopelessly platonic), and the thought of uninterrupted time alone together made Lucy's heart sputter. But it soon became clear that unsupervised time in his room was a surefire way to make things escalate too fast.

Everything was hot, and Lucy could barely think straight. She'd set boundaries in her head when they first started doing this. _1\. No touching below the belt (and NO grinding). 2. No moaning Natsu's name. 3. No clothes come off. Not even socks._ These rules were sacred, and must be adhered to at all times. They were the reasons why their romp in the library had ended so disastrously (well, that and the fact that the bookcases really should've been drilled into the floor or something). She'd never told Natsu about her rules out loud, but he rarely crossed any sort of line unless she did so first. So there hadn't been an issue. In all honesty, the rule that concerned her the most was #4. _4\. Don't accidentally slip and tell Natsu that you're desperately in love with him._

It was Natsu's fault that her rules had been thrown out the window. He was bolder than usual, his hand sliding down and groping her ass through her jeans. Lucy gasped around his lips, readying herself to pull away. He only used her open mouth as an opportunity to suck on her tongue. It was like a sensation overload. Next thing Lucy knew, she had him pinned to the bed. And then she was tearing at his shirt, stretching out the collar in her attempt to just get the damned thing _off_. She threw it to the far side of the room like it'd burned her, running her hands over Natsu's broad shoulders. Natsu hissed when she raked her nails over his chest, kissing her harder. Lucy sighed. She'd expected his skin to be almost unbearably hot, but she hadn't expected it to be so soft. She had thought that the rest of him would be as rough as his hands, which was not the case.

It was only when she felt those curious hands of his trail up beneath her shirt that she was finally able to jerk herself away. Lucy wrenched herself back, scooting to the far end of Natsu's bed. The room was silent except for the sound of both of their heavy breathing. Lucy was practically panting as she tried to recollect her thoughts. She felt a shift in the mattress when Natsu started to move closer to her. She closed her eyes and held out a hand, not wanting to see his smoldering gaze. As gross as it sounded, succubus saliva was a potent aphrodisiac. She'd never thought that knowledge would be useful when she came across it in her studies, but it explained why Natsu didn't seem to mind her kissing him. Why he even seemed to _like_ it. Lucy knew her resolution would falter if she saw him looking at her like he wanted to eat her up.

"Wait," she gasped, mind still a blunder. "Don't get closer."

"Luce," he murmured, voice husky. She shivered. "What's wrong?"

"I- I can't think. Just give me a second."

Natsu waited patiently, and eventually he got up to put his shirt back on. Lucy tried to slow her pulse. She could feel it thruming heavily in her neck (and between her thighs). Even as her mind caught up with the situation, her body still refused to calm down. Maybe it was because she was in Natsu's room, surrounded by the smell of him. Maybe it was because she could see the square line of his jaw in her peripheral vision, calling to her. Or maybe it was because she just wanted him that damn badly.

"I," Lucy paused, gulping. "I think I should go home."

"What," Natsu asked, bewildered. "What's wrong? Did I do something?"

"No. Yes. I don't know. Look, I just- I need to be alone right now, or else I'll-"

Lucy cut herself off abruptly, embarrassed, but Natsu caught her drift. She saw him ruffle his hair, and her heart clenched. She always loved when he did that. Natsu turned back to her, and Lucy quickly averted her eyes before he could see the adoration there. It was already bad enough for him to know that she wanted to get him horizontal (even if he thought it was solely because of her succubus hunger). She doesn't know what she'd do if he found out that she was in love with him.

"Maybe," Natsu hesitated, shifting nervously. "Maybe we _should_ \- You know. You look like you've had more energy since I started feeding you. But maybe it's not enough. You're still hungry, and you almost had a lapse just now. Like at that party, when we were playing Truth or Dare. Maybe we should go all the way."

Lucy clenched her eyes shut, not wanting to know what he'd think if he knew her reckless abandon just then hadn't been the succubus. It'd been all _her._ Knowing that her actions couldn't be justified by succubus hunger made Lucy feel like some sort of sex fiend. Blush rose to her cheeks.

"You're just saying that because of-"

"I know, I know," he groaned, interrupting her. "I still don't believe that you have magic _spit-_ "

"It's science, not magic-"

"But it's not the aphrodisiac talking, Luce! You're gonna have to feed eventually. I'm still kinda pissed that you went all of that time starving yourself without _telling_ anyone-"

"I told you, I had it under control-"

"Under _control_? You were shaking in pain when I found you in the library," Natsu hissed. Lucy crossed her arms defiantly.

"The pain would've gone away eventually," she retorted. "And I wouldn't have brought down half of the library while waiting it out!"

"That wasn't my fault," Natsu cried indignantly. "It was mostly yours!"

"How in the hell was that my fault," Lucy asked, offended.

"Well, if you hadn't moaned my name like that-"

Natsu stopped mid-sentence, flushing at the memory. Every muscle in Lucy's body stiffened, and she suddenly felt incredibly self-conscious. And incredibly vulnerable. She hadn't meant to moan his name, and the slip up was more telling of her feelings for him than she was comfortable with. Natsu had never moaned her name before, despite the amount of time they'd spent snogging the past couple of weeks. ( _It's because he doesn't feel the same way_ , a voice in her head whispered. _He only kisses you out of guilt and obligation._ )

"I'm going home," Lucy whispered, tears stinging at her eyes. She got up to grab her stuff, but Natsu stopped her.

"Lucy, don't," he urged, pulling on her arm. She pulled away.

"I can't do this right now, Natsu. I'm too stressed out already. Talking about sex is only making things worse," she said, flinching at the hurt in his eyes. She opened her mouth to tell him that her words hadn't come out right. That she hadn't meant it that way. But Natsu beat her to the punch.

"Stressed out? I'm sorry that being a succubus is so _awful_ ," he bit out, voice dripping in anger and pain and self-loathing. He began to pace the room, hands buried in his hair. Lucy's eyes widened at his obvious distress.

"You must've been cringing this whole time," Natsu grit out. "The fact that we kissed must disgust you. I can't imagine how _horrible_ it must be that you want to touch me."

Lucy clasped a hand to her mouth. A knife to the chest couldn't have possibly hurt any more than his words. If only it was just the succubus in her that wanted to touch him. That wanted to kiss him. That wanted whatever Natsu had to offer. Life would've been so much easier if every part of her wasn't yearning for him. And she never would've thought that he'd lack sympathy for her internal torment over what she was.

"I can't believe you'd say that," she whimpered, voice cracking as tears finally flooded over. Natsu winced.

"Lucy, I-"

"You know what? It _is_ horrible being a succubus," she yelled, gathering her things. "It's horrible that my mother _died_ because she was a succubus and couldn't bear to feed too often from my father. It's horrible that I have to go through searing physical pain if I don't feed-"

" _Lucy_ -"

"And," her voice broke, the words barely coming out. "It's horrible that being a succubus is tearing apart my relationship with my best friend."

Natsu looked stricken, whether by Lucy's words or her tears she didn't know. She left the room in a rush, not knowing whether she was relieved or hurt that Natsu didn't chase after her. When Lucy wrenched open the front door, she was surprised to see Gray and Happy standing on the other side with grocery bags in hand. They both gaped at her tearstained face, but she brushed past them before they could ask any questions. Lucy heard them shout after her, but she didn't look back.

She ran all the way home.

 **XOXOXOX**

A week of not talking to Natsu was even more taxing than Lucy had thought it would be. She locked her windows and her front door. She refused to answer his calls and texts, turning off her phone completely and shoving it into her bag. And she ignored him the next day at school. All of their friends pestered them, sensing their rift in communication. Lucy just brushed them off, refusing to answer.

She'd looked like a wreck all week. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying every night, and she'd completely stopped putting any effort in her appearance whatsoever. Levy pretended not to notice Lucy's tangled hair and dark circles, bless her heart. But it was when she'd decided to spend lunch curled up in a bathroom stall to avoid Natsu that one of her friends had finally had enough.

"No. No, no, no, no, _no_. Stop it," Juvia hissed, dragging Lucy to her feet. "No self-pity."

"But," Lucy gasped, struggling to speak through her tears. "But I just-"

"No excuses," Juvia demanded, wiping Lucy's tears away. "Lucy is going to wait for Juvia after school and eat dinner at her house. Does Lucy like casserole?"

"I can only eat chocolate," Lucy sobbed, crying into Juvia's shoulder. "I'm sorry-"

"We'll make brownies then," Juvia sighed, rubbing Lucy's back.

"Okay."

"Wait for Juvia after school. We'll ride the bus to Juvia's house together."

"Okay."

"And Lucy is going to tell Juvia what's wrong."

"Okay."

And that was how Lucy and Juvia wound up riding the bus together. Juvia had to run her fingers through Lucy's hair and listen to her teary-eyed mumblings the entire ride home. Half of the time they seemed a bit nonsensical, and the other half of the time Lucy was talking about Natsu. ("He _hates_ the bus," Lucy had sobbed. "But I always loved it because he'd sleep on my shoulder.") Was _Juvia_ like that about Gray? She hoped she wasn't. Lucy was over-emotional and completely irrational with her bouts of tears and depression. It was a total downer.

Still, Juvia couldn't help but feel a deep seeded empathy. Finding Lucy crying alone in the bathroom dredged up sour memories. And Lucy's anguish was apparently over Natsu, which Juvia could understand. Crying over boys took up a sizable chunk of Juvia's life, after all. It's not like Juvia hadn't spent the past two years crying over Gray Fullbuster. But experience had taught her that you'd only waste away if you didn't brush yourself off and pick yourself back up. This was a lesson Lucy had not yet learned, so Juvia felt an inherent responsibility to help her.

Juvia pulled Lucy inside, rolling her eyes at another one of Lucy's cries of despair. ("Natsu just _barges into_ my house! God, I should be relieved that he hasn't tried to in the past couple days, but- But!") Juvia sat Lucy down at her kitchen counter and gave her a bottled water from the fridge. Lucy's sobs died down to sniffles as Juvia began to pull out all of the ingredients for brownies.

"What happened," Juvia asked softly, putting a mixing bowl on the counter.

"Natsu and I had a fight. He- he hurt my feelings."

"Okay," Juvia nodded, proud that she finally got a coherent sentence out of Lucy. "What was the fight about?"

"I'm a succubus," Lucy said after some hesitation. She looked at Juvia with caution. Juvia barely kept from rolling her eyes.

"Juvia knows," she said casually, cracking some eggs. "She's known since Truth or Dare."

"Oh," Lucy said, frowning.

"Is Natsu-san upset that Lucy is a succubus," Juvia asked with a frown, crossing her arms. Lucy shook her head.

"He- Natsu fed me."

" _What-_ "

Juvia gasped, dropping her whisk. Lucy ran her hands over her face before launching into the entire story. Like, starting the day she transferred. Juvia listened, enraptured, asking questions and gasping at the appropriate parts. (" _Natsu-san said that to you?_ " " _I know, right?_ ") By the end of it, Lucy was more angry than upset.

"How could he even _think_ that," Lucy raged, pacing across Juvia's kitchen. Juvia sighed as she put the brownies in the oven.

"Well, maybe if Lucy told Natsu-san she was in love with him-"

"Saying something would ruin our friendship," Lucy groaned, collapsing into her seat.

" _Not_ saying anything is ruining your friendship," Juvia scolded. "And what if Natsu-san feels the same as Love Rival-"

"Natsu is impulsive," Lucy interrupted, slumping. "He would've told me right away if he was in love with me."

"Volunteering himself as Lucy's dinner _isn't_ his way of showing his love for you?"

Lucy flushed, and she couldn't think of a suitable response. Juvia smiled to herself, secretly smug. She saw the way Natsu looked at Lucy. Maybe Lucy hadn't seen it because she hadn't known Natsu before, but Juvia had.

"Natsu's selfless," Lucy finally mumbled. "He'd do that for anyone-"

"Anyone?"

"Well, maybe not _anyone-_ "

"Juvia? I'm home!"

Juvia hopped up to greet her aunt Aquarius at the door. She was surprised her aunt was home so early. Often working strenuous hours, Aquarius usually wasn't home until after dinner. And lately she'd been spending so much time planning a trip with her boyfriend that Juvia had seen even less of her. When she got to the entryway, she saw Aquarius taking off her shoes. She looked tired, but seemed to be in high spirits.

"Juvia didn't know you'd be home early," Juvia smiled, wrapping her aunt into a hug. Aquarius sighed and patted Juvia's head lovingly.

"I finished my work quickly so I could get back to you. We haven't spent very much time together lately, so I thought we could have a movie night. It's Friday, after all."

"That sounds great," Juvia beamed, tingling with excitement. Aquarius had never been the overly affectionate type, but moments like this made her feel so loved. They started walking together to the kitchen, Juvia wringing her hands nervously.

"Juvia hopes it isn't a bother, but she invited a friend over. Her name is-"

" _Lucy. Heartfilia._ "

Juvia froze, seeing her aunt standing frozen in the kitchen doorway. Lucy looked like a deer in the headlights with Aquarius's glare fixed on her. Aquarius looked beyond pissed, a sight Juvia hadn't seen since they'd watched that documentary on the treatment of dolphins at Seaworld. She looked absolutely _livid._ Juvia was puzzled. How did her aunt know Lucy? And why was she so upset?

"Um," Lucy gulped. "Yeah. That's me."

"You look just like your mother," Aquarius frowned, crossing her arms. "But you are far more irresponsible. Would you mind telling me where in the _hell_ you've been the past six months?"

"Just, you know. Around. And did you just say you knew my mother?"

"Of course I knew your mother, you-"

"What is going on," Juvia half-screamed, interrupting the confusing conversation. Aquarius sighed, rubbing at her face in exasperation.

"I was friends with Layla Heartfilia," Aquarius said serenely, but Juvia could hear her voice dripping with frustration. "She gave me the task of bringing her daughter to Magnolia after her seventeenth birthday shortly before she passed away. It was her fucking _dying wish._ Seven years go by, and I keep my promise to her in mind and wait for the day when I'll have to fulfill it. Imagine my surprise when I go to get said daughter, a Miss Lucy Heartfilia, only to find that the spoiled idiot went _missing_ a week before."

Juvia gasped, whirling around to see an embarrassed Lucy. The blonde shrugged, lips pulling up in an awkward smile.

"Sorry. My bad."

"Your," Aquarius choked. " _Your bad?_ Do you have _any_ idea how worried I was? You were clueless about your powers, and I was convinced that you'd wound up dead in a ditch somewhere! Not to mention that I never had a chance to give you the journal your mother left you-"

"My mother left me a journal? Do you still have it," Lucy asked, a tinge of desperation coloring her voice. Aquarius sighed.

"Of course I still have it, you little brat. Follow me."

Lucy eagerly followed Aquarius, looking like a lost puppy. Juvia trailed behind with mild curiosity. She stood in the doorway of her aunt's room while Aquarius pulled a worn, gold embroidered diary out of her nightstand. Juvia was faintly amused by the way Lucy took it into her hands, with the same care that one would take a priceless artifact. Although, to Lucy, they were probably one and the same.

"I have no clue what's inside," Aquarius said, stepping away. "Layla put a special charm on it. The journal will only open for you."

"Thank you," Lucy said, voice trembling. Aquarius clicked her tongue disapprovingly.

"Of course, you silly girl."

Juvia and Aquarius left quietly, letting Lucy read in private. They returned to the kitchen, and Juvia cooked pasta and filled Aquarius in on how Lucy was doing. Despite her aunt's seemingly instant dislike of the blonde, Juvia saw a worried line between her aunt's brows soften. Seeing Lucy had apparently lightened the weight that Juvia noticed Aquarius carrying on her shoulders. She'd probably been fretting over Lucy's whereabouts for Layla's sake. Seeing Aquarius look at peace was a relief.

They ate dinner and made quiet conversation. Lucy walked into the kitchen an hour later, cheeks red and eyes swollen from crying. Juvia and Aquarius said nothing, only offering comforting pats on the back and quiet solidarity. Lucy ate the brownies Juvia left out for her, going back for more after gobbling the first two cuts.

"These are amazing," Lucy gushed, chocolate staining her fingers and the corners of her mouth.

"Juvia is glad you-"

Juvia was interrupted by an ear splitting howl of wind. She walked to the window to see the weather, Lucy peering over her shoulder. There was practically a blizzard out. Snow and sleet and ice, which was only made worse by the insane wind. Lucy cursed.

"I should probably get home before this weather gets worse," she sighed.

"Lucy cannot go out in that horrible weather," Juvia frowned, crossing her arms.

"I'll be fine-"

"You're staying here tonight," Aquarius said firmly, her tone leaving no room for further argument.

"Okay," Lucy squeaked.

Juvia smiled. Her aunt always did have a way of getting what she wanted.

 **XOXOXOX**

Lucy waited until Juvia's breathing slowed and deepened before checking to see if she was asleep. She waved a hand in front of Juvia's face, creeping out of bed when Juvia gave no response. She snuck into the kitchen and picked the journal up from where she left it on the counter. It was heavy in her hands, despite how sparse the pages really were. When Lucy brushed her fingers over the cover, the symbol on the back of her hand glowed. The book unlatched instantly, turning by itself to the page it knew she wanted to read.

Lucy hummed as she read. Her mother had written about her upbringing as a succubus and how she fell in love with Lucy's father (who sounded very different in this journal from the man Lucy ran away from). A lot of the explanations were useful, although many of them were things Lucy had already found for herself. Layla's journal did answer one question that'd been burning in Lucy's mind for months, however: She explained why she hid their succubus heritage; she didn't want Lucy to be raised the way she had been. Layla had always been terrified at the prospect of giving her heart away. She didn't want Lucy to grow up fearing love as she had.

" _My dearest daughter. I know you'll be upset that I never told you about what we are. I, myself, wonder if this is truly what is best for you. But I cannot bear the thought of my hopeless romantic of a little girl becoming jaded and philophobic. You love so freely, my darling, and I don't want you to grow up in fear of what makes you so beautiful._

" _It was my love for you, my precious daughter, that kept me going for so long. My heart doubled in size the day you were born. I'd always been told that a succubus could only fall in love once, and they were wrong. I fell for your father in a little diner on Main Street when I was twenty six. And then there was you. I loved you even before you were fully formed. And the day you were born, I fell in love with your chubby fingers and toes. I named you Lucy, which means 'light', because you were like a ray of sunshine in the darkness. And as you blossomed into my Sunshine Girl, I only came to love you more. You were my angel, Lucy. You kept me fighting."_

Lucy's eyes stung, but she kept reading. This was the point she'd closed the book at. The ache in her chest had become almost too painful to breathe. But Lucy needed to finish the journal, even though the final entry was only making her feel sad and emotional.

" _I pray that your fate won't be as tragic as mine, honey. I hope that you'll fall in love with someone who not only can sustain you, but will appreciate and love you as much as you deserve. Regardless, I pray that you won't run away from love when it finds you. Love is tireless and impossible to escape once it has you in its hold. Believe me, my love, I've tried. When you do find love, don't hide from it. Embrace it. Live your days to their fullest, and never let your love go._

 _~ Your Mother, Layla"_

Lucy closed the book, swiping at the tears that poured down her cheeks. Her mother wouldn't have wanted her to cry. Lucy clutched the diary tightly and forced herself to smile until it felt real. _Love,_ she thought, mind a whirlwind of emotions. _It must be its own kind of magic._

Lucy assessed her life, categorizing it into things she didn't know and things she did. She didn't know if her mom would be proud of the way Lucy was living now, running from love as if it had scorned her. But she did know that her mother loved her regardless. She didn't know if it would've been better to have known about her succubus blood or not. But she did know that her mother had the best of intentions. She didn't know what she should do now. But she did know that she had to do something. Her life needed a serious change.

Lucy thought about her mother's advice. That she should embrace love instead running from it. Honestly, the idea of love was still so terrifying. Lucy had gone so many years without it that the feeling was now foreign and overwhelming. She was about ninety nine percent certain that Natsu would never love her back. At least, not the way she wanted him to. But her mother's words still rang clear in her head.

" _Live your days to their fullest, and never let love go."_

She went to her backpack and dug her phone out, turning it on for the first time in days. It almost vibrated out of her hands as a flood of text messages and missed calls poured in. A couple were from Levy (asking about homework assignments) and Gray (asking why Lucy had left his dorm crying; _"Do I have to beat Natsu up?"_ ). The vast majority, though, were from Natsu. Lucy scrolled through the messages, seeing the gradual shift in attitude.

 _Please come back, Luce. I didn't mean it._ That was the first one. There were a few more just like it. After a few hours, the messages got more frustrated. _Lucy. Just answer me, damn it!_ Then, _I'm gonna come over if you don't answer._ And twenty minutes later: _I can't BELIEVE you locked all of your windows. I'll break in if I have to._ Five minutes later: _Okay, fine. I won't break in. You'd probably just make me pay for it._

The next day: _So you just completely ignored me at school. That's pretty cold, Lucy._ And, _You know what? If you won't hear me out, I'll just stop bothering you. Have it your way._ That was the last message for a few days. He texted her again on Thursday: _I can't stand this, Lucy. Please call me._ And finally, _I miss you, Luce._

Lucy's heart melted, and her resolve hardened. She came to a silent decision. Maybe it was futile. Maybe Natsu would never love her back. Maybe she'd never be able to make him feel the staggering warmth and affection that clenched in her chest every time he smiled at her. But Lucy couldn't afford to think that way. Her fear had already created a rift in their relationship. She could barely feel him through the bond since they were so out of sync. Lucy clenched her fist. She wouldn't let her insecurities stop her.

Lucy finally sent Natsu a message. _I miss you, too. Come over tomorrow night. We can talk then. G'night._ She set her phone up to charge and crept back into Juvia's room, slipping back into bed quietly. The wheels in her head were turning, and she tried to formulate a plan. A mode of attack, if you will. She couldn't sit back and expect things to come easily to her anymore. She was going to take this all the way. If Lucy Heartfilia has any say in the matter, she _will_ make Natsu Dragneel fall in love with her. Or she'd die trying.

 _Literally_.

* * *

 **I hope you guys liked this chapter! It's a bit angsty, but I felt that the fight was necessary to put a fire under Lucy's ass. Did you like the Layla/Aquarius bit? I've been planning it since, like, chapter 5. I hope I did the mother/daughter** **relationship justice. And I have a head canon that Aquarius and Juvia would get along super well. So. Anyways, Chapter 17 is already typed up! I just have to edit it! I'll be posting it on the 15th as a late Valentines-inspired chapter. UwU. You'l dig it, I promise. Anyways, I hope you guys have a lovely week!**

 **~Mya**


	17. My Other Half

**A/N: Hey guys! I was gonna wait until tomorrow, but I'm a huge softy. Hence the caving. Think of it as a Valentine's Day gift to you all. Huge thank you to everyone that left a review to the last chapter. Not to sound like a broken record, but the reception this story has been getting is still blowing my mind. When I wrote this story, I made a half-joking mental goal to get a thousand followers. And now we're over 900 strong and just WHAT. I feel like I'm going on an adventure with you guys. It's totally awesome.**

 **I'm super excited for the chapters ahead, which is something I'm constantly saying. But it's been true every time. I write whatever scenes inspire me whenever the urge strikes, so there are some scenes meant for later in the story that I've had written for months. And we're finally starting to get to them! I have some more development planned for non-NaLu couples, which I know will excite some of you. Those of you who are here for just the NaLu, don't fret! This is still a Natsu and Lucy story, and they won't be cheated out of their screen time.**

 **From this chapter on, I'm getting more in touch with the magical side of this AU (because that's kind of half the point of the story). I hope you enjoy this chapter and the many more to come!**

 **P.S. A bunch of you have been worried that I'm stopping at chapter 20, since that was my initial goal. Just warning you that I probably won't be finished until at least chapter 25, if not chapter 30. I** **guess you'll have to put up with me for a little longer. ;)**

* * *

Natsu felt like he was about to throw up. He was standing at Lucy's front door, wondering whether or not he should knock. He just wanted everything to go back to normal, and normally he'd just walk in like he owned the place. Then, she'd yell at him as if she really cared, and they'd fall into their routine of friendly banter. But this wasn't normal. Natsu wasn't normally sitting outside her apartment looking like a wounded pet that was desperate for its master's forgiveness.

Their fight had almost felt like a horrible dream, but days of being ignored had anchored it in reality. Natsu was going crazy without her. He just wanted to touch her. To _feel_ her. Sitting next to her in class, surrounded by her smell but unable to get a fraction of her attention ate at him. He tossed and turned at night, unable to sleep because of the innate feeling that she should be _there_. With him. Not locked up in her house and hurting because of things he'd said. His entire body seemed to ache for her. Natsu had grown so greedy over the past few weeks, drunk on the priviledge of getting to feel her lips rubbing against his and losing himself in the taste of her mouth. It made him want more, which had turned him into someone he couldn't even recognize in the mirror. It made him an animal. A _monster._

When she'd rejected him that night, it'd torn at his chest with heart-wrenching brutality. He wanted her so badly. He dreamt about her at when the sky was dark and only the shadows of his room kept him company, her image forever printed on the back of his eyelids. Hell, he dreamt about her during the day with his eyes wide open. He fantasized about her being closer when she was standing right in front of him. He felt a borderline desperate need to feel her soft curves against his hard lines and lose himself in her body. He wanted Lucy to feel that same yearning for him, even if it was only half as much.

But he knew that she didn't feel the same. She would literally die without sex, and she still didn't want him. There could be no other reason she'd push him away, not when he was so obviously prisoner to his need for her. The rejection hurt more than anything. It reminded him of his childhood bouncing around from foster home to foster home. It made him feel pathetic and unloved and undesirable. It made him lash out and say cruel things, much like he did when he was still that troubled foster kid. Only now, his words had repercussions. His words had _hurt_ her, and he'd been kicking himself over it for the past week. All he did when he was awake was stare into space, wishing he could stop thinking about her. And when he slept, the scent of honey and coffee and roses lingered like an old ghost. Sometimes, when he first woke, a swore that he could still smell her shampoo on his pillow.

 _I can't fuck this up,_ Natsu told himself, pacing back and forth. _I can't lose her._

His head jerked up when he heard the telltale click of the front door opening. And then she was standing there, breathtaking as usual. The light from her apartment shone behind her and lit the outlines of her hair, making it glimmer gold. She looked like a statue of some Roman goddess, with her delicious curves and hooded lids. Natsu's stomach turned when Lucy looked up at him. It nearly killed him, seeing how guarded her eyes were. She'd always been so open to him, which was something he'd clearly taken for granted. Were those the eyes she gave the rest of the world? How had he never noticed that she looked at him differently from everyone else until she suddenly didn't?

"You've been at my doorstep for the past ten minutes," Lucy murmured, voice soft and warm enough to send an ache rippling through his chest. He hadn't heard her voice in days, and he basked in the melodic sound of it. "I was starting to think that you wouldn't come in."

"I- Yeah, I'm an idiot," he muttered. She gave a gentle laugh, and his breath caught.

"Come in. I ordered Indian food."

She opened the door wider for him, and his heart swelled. He knew that succubuses didn't eat normal food. All those meals she spent picking at her plate had finally made sense, and it was only a month ago that he'd realized all the food she kept in stock was just for _him._ It was impossible for Natsu to describe what that knowledge did to him.

Natsu came in and immediately dove into the plate of tandoori chicken that sat on the coffee table. Lucy hadn't even bothered making a plate for herself. She'd completely dropped any pretense of eating after winter break. She watched Natsu from her spot on the couch, her intent gaze making him feel self conscious. He paused mid bite, swallowing a mouthful of naan bread before saying something.

"What? Do I have something on my face?"

"Um, I was just thinking," Lucy blushed, looking away.

"About what," Natsu pried, his voice sounding throatier than he'd intended. Lucy didn't respond right away, letting the room go quiet for a moment.

"The last real meal I ate was Indian food, you know," she murmured, lips twisted into a rueful smile. "It just makes me feel nostalgic. For when I was still a Normal."

Natsu's chest seized, and his appetite suddenly left him. His words from their fight came back to him. _I'm sorry that being a succubus is so_ _ **awful**_ _._ He flinched at the memory. He knew that her SH type made her insecure, but he still hadn't been able to keep himself from spewing those acidic words. Guilt clawed at him.

"Lucy-"

"Do you think we would've met if I wasn't a succubus?"

The question jolted him. He gave her an incredulous look, but she didn't seem to notice. She was too wrapped up in her thoughts.

"I- I don't know," he answered honestly.

"I probably wouldn't have run away," she contemplated, drawing her knees up to her chin. "My dad not listening to me about feeling changed was the final straw. It's what finally made me leave. I wouldn't have been in Hargeon, and I wouldn't have met-"

"Stop," Natsu bit out, not liking where she was heading. "You're wrong."

"Natsu," she sighed. "I'm just saying-"

"I don't believe in fate or destiny or any of that shit," Natsu said, voice defiant. "I think that we create our own paths. But I also don't believe that there's any alternate universe where we _don't_ meet. Every night when I go to sleep, I know three things for sure: The sun will rise, the earth will keep spinning, and we'll go on some crazy adventure or other. That's it. No further discussion."

Lucy's eyes watered, and Natsu panicked. Did he seriously just fuck up again? He flailed around a bit, trying to figure out where he went wrong. Lucy got off the couch and sat next to him on the floor, leaning her head on his shoulder. Natsu stiffened, electricity shooting up his spine at the touch. She looked up at him, her eyes the same ones he'd fallen so hopelessly in love with. They were open and expressive, easily baring her emotions. Natsu gave a little sigh of relief, a weight lifting from his shoulders.

"I missed you so much," Lucy mumbled into his shoulder, her voice watery. "I'm sorry we fought."

" _I'm_ sorry," Natsu groaned, wrapping her up in his arms. She hugged him back. "I was an asshole."

"Yeah, you were. But I shouldn't have ignored your calls."

"No, you shouldn't have. But I should've tried harder to talk to you-"

"I should've listened to you-"

"God, Luce. It was _my_ fault. Just let me promise it'll never happen again, and forgive me."

"Sounds good," she hummed, nestling into his side.

Natsu sighed, completely content in that moment. The world was finally right again. They stayed like that for a while, but Natsu's stomach started clawing at him. The muscles in his abdomen clenched and ached in a way that felt somewhat foreign to him. The room started to blur, and his mind clouded over. And he felt… kind of horny? _Weird. Must be hungry._ Without jostling Lucy too much, Natsu reached for his plate of Indian food and started packing it away. His hunger had returned with a vengeance, and he was ravenous. The food was hot, just the way he liked it. Lucy suddenly hissed and jerked out of his arms, getting up to sprint to the kitchen.

"Lucy," he called, mouth still full of food. "What's wrong?"

"Water! I need water," she gasped, drinking directly from the tap.

"What's going on," Natsu hissed, coming over to put a hand on her back. He jerked away, whirling around when he felt the ghost sensation of someone's fingers brushing his spine.

"My mouth is on fire," she groaned between gulps. "I forgot curry is so damned _spicy!_ "

"You weren't even eating the food," Natsu frowned.

Lucy froze then, like she'd just remembered something important. Then she sighed, turning off the tap water. Slowly, she turned around to face him. Natsu crossed his arms, growing worried about her nervous demeanor.

"Luce? What's going on?"

"Natsu," she huffed, mirroring his posture and closing her eyes in resignation. "Have you ever heard of a _Cupla_?"

 **XOXOXOX**

Natsu and Lucy were so damned _irritating._ Mira had spent all these months trying to stay out of their business, honestly. They weren't progressing as quickly as she would've liked, but they had definitely grown closer since winter break. Cana refused to fess up and tell her when they'd just freaking get together (not without demanding compensation in return, at least), and Mira couldn't help but wonder if she should just take matters into her own hands. The little spat they had the week before (which nobody could seem to figure out the reason for) was the final straw.

Over the weekend, Mira sort of broke into Meredy's house and borrowed her book of spells. Elfman told her it was stealing, but Mirajane had every intention of returning it. Honest. There were some spells in the book that could help propel the situation along; one in particular came to mind: _Exponentia Basiatio._ A.K.A. The Kissing Spell.

It was simple enough. You just have to give your target a harmless little potion and recite an incantation. Once the spell takes effect, the _victim-_ No, the lucky recipient, will be kissed by their soulmate before the day's end. Because surely those two couldn't kiss and _still_ not see the attraction between them. Nobody can be _that_ dense.

That was how Mira ended up cackling into a cauldron in the girls' locker room on Monday morning. Smoke poured out of the top, covering the room in a thick fog that made it nearly impossible to see more than a foot in front of her face. At least, that was Mira's excuse for not seeing the incoming threat before it was too late.

"Mirajane," a dangerous voice growled. "Exactly _what_ are you doing?"

"Erza," she yelped, jumping and hiding the ladle behind her back.

Erza's figure finally came into focus as she made her way through the foggy room. Her hair was still as vibrant red as ever, and her pretty mouth was twisted in a scowl. Anyone else might've found her narrowed eyes and crossed arms threatening, but Mira knew otherwise. Wariness and concern was etched into Erza's face, and Mira could tell that she was more worried than angry.

"I'm just making a harmless matchmaking potion-"

" _Mira_ -"

"It's for the greater good! Really," Mira insisted, throwing her hands up like a criminal that's just been caught. Erza gave a hearty sigh, dragging a hand down her face.

"You know what I told you about tampering with people's free will, Mira. After that incident with Elfman and Ever-"

"Everything turned out fine in the end! It's not my fault she turned him to stone for a week-"

"You have to stop butting in," Erza insisted, sitting down on one of the benches. Mira gave a cry of despair.

"But Natsu and Lucy would be so cute together! They just need a little push!"

"If it's meant to be, they'll get there on their own," Erza said gently, patting Mirajane's shoulder. "Besides, I thought you wanted Natsu to get back together with your sister after she returns from her exchange program."

"I did," Mira sighed, sitting next to Erza. "But that was before Lucy came into the picture. I love Natsu like a little brother, and I know you do as well. He's different around Lucy, and she's the same for him. I just want them both to be happy. I think- I think the two of them are _soulmates_."

Mira gauged Erza's reaction, looking for a flash of recognition in her eyes. Erza's entire body stiffened, and her breath caught. Mirajane knew how profound a subject soulmates were to the fairy. Erza had been burned by love before, and she was still having a hard time recovering. She put on a brave face and fooled everyone else, but Mira could see how the old wounds still affected her. She'd spent a lot of time wondering if the guy who'd hurt Erza was _her_ soulmate. She'd tried to ask her, but Erza clammed up and retreated every time.

This time, the mention of soulmates made Erza's willful determination waver. Her crossed arms fell to her sides, and the proud arch of her spine grew rigid. Mira saw the almost imperceptible crease between Erza's brows, which was a clear sign of distress. She held Erza's gaze, not letting go of the subject.

"Really," Erza murmured softly, eyes withdrawn. "Are you sure?"

"I saw it in their auras when we played Truth or Dare. When soulmates kiss, their auras blend together and become one. If I can see them kiss again, I'll know for sure-"

"Mirajane," Erza groaned, exasperated. "This is completely unethical. I really shouldn't let you do this."

"But?"

"But," Erza sighed. "You know how I feel about soulmates."

"Yes," Mira yelled, jumping up and down in excitement. "You're the best! That makes this whole process so much easier. You see, one of the ingredients I need is a fairy's tears, and I thought I'd have to-"

"I don't even want to know, Mira. I don't even want to know."

Mira ran to lock the door, preventing any further unwanted interruptions. The next thirty minutes were spent trying to get Erza to cry into a cauldron. (" _Just think of that nightmare you had where you were forced to be the lead in the school play!_ ") When the potion was done Mira went over her game plan again, trying to work out the kinks. Ideally, she could just ask Lucy to drink the potion, murmur the incantation, and be done with it. Lucy wouldn't drink the potion if she knew it was from Mira, though. Her last matchmaking attempt gone wrong (these adorable little Freshman that would've been even more adorable together) forced Makarov to call a school assembly about not taking mysterious potions from their peers or strangers. (" _Even if they seem to have good intentions, only a professional is able to make completely safe magical concoctions. Don't take potions or beverages from anyone other than a trusted adult._ ") The whole assembly had been so obviously directed at Mirajane that her insufferable, Zeus-descendant boyfriend had been shaking with laughter the entire time. She'd blushed like mad and suggested that Laxus choke on one of his own lightning bolts.

When the potion was finished, Mira hid the spellbook in her bag and enacted Phase Two of her plan. She closed her eyes and focused on her magic, letting it pour out of her chakras and envelope her. Three low murmurs of a familiar shapeshifting spell (" _Aliam Pellem_ "), and Mira felt her skin warping and twisting and molding itself to fit the image in her mind. When Mirajane opened her eyes and looked in the mirror, she had taken the form of the school nurse. Mousy brown hair, dark eyes, and freckled skin. She quickly changed out of her school uniform and into the spare clothes she'd stuffed in her bag. When she was finished, she assessed herself in the mirror and grinned at her handiwork. _Not too shabby._

"So," Mira called, grabbing Erza's attention. "How do I look?"

"Your clothes are different," Erza observed, raising a curious brow. "Is there something else?"

"I keep forgetting about that Dexterity of yours," Mira huffed, annoyed that Erza couldn't see the evidence of her brilliant shapeshifting ability. "You and your magical fairy eyes."

"My magical fairy eyes are the only reason your potion is complete," Erza said dryly. Mira rolled her eyes.

"Details. Now, follow me."

Mirajane dragged Erza out of the locker room and into the hallway, carrying the cauldron in her arms. The halls were pretty much empty, class having started ten minutes prior. Mira saw Erza, the damned goody goody, looking around the hall nervously. She rolled her eyes skyward, wondering how Erza could be so bold and yet so hesitant to go against the rules.

"Hurry up, Erza. We don't have all day," Mira huffed, walking faster. "The active ingredients in this potion will stop working in an hour. We have to get this done as soon as possible."

"It's just," Erza paused, biting the inside of her cheek. "How much class are we going to miss for this plan of yours?"

"God, stop worrying. We're only going to miss first hour," Mira said, nudging Erza into an alcove to hide from an approaching teacher. When the hall was empty, they kept going. "You're such a teacher's pet. That's why I couldn't stand you in middle school, you know."

"Really? Your lack of propriety and inability to follow simple rules was why _I_ detested _you_ ," Erza hissed, ushering Mira along.

"You know you love my rebel spirit."

"I'd love it more if you weren't such a handful."

Mira pulled Erza to a stop outside the nurse's office, putting a finger to her lips. They crouched down in front of the door. Mira set down the cauldron she'd been carrying, giving Erza an intent look.

"It's time to commence Phase 3," Mira whispered.

"Am I supposed to know what that means?"

"I kinda need you to gently knock the nurse out," Mira whispered. Erza blanched.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Just get her in that sleeper hold you did to Gray last week. She'll be out in thirty seconds flat," Mira hissed.

"Gray stripped naked in the middle of a public park," Erza hissed back. "This nurse hasn't done anything wrong!"

"Please, Erza! It's for the greater good," Mirajane simpered. "They're _soulmates._ I know it."

Erza hesitated, looking conflicted. Mira gave her the puppy dog eyes, trying to persuade Erza into going along with the plan. After a few moments of tense silence, Erza sighed and closed her eyes. _Soulmates._ Gritting her teeth, she stood up and clenched her fists.

"Wait here," Erza growled, clearly not happy about what she was getting ready to do.

Erza wrenched the door open, stepping inside and closing it behind her. Mira heard the nurse's voice muffled by the closed door. After a few moments, there was a brief scuffle inside followed by the sound of a something hitting the ground. Then, the low swish of a clothed body being dragged across the floor and the click of another door being opened and closed. After a few more moments, Erza opened the door to the nurse's office and ushered Mira in. Her red hair was slightly disheveled, and she tried to smooth it back into place.

"The nurse struggled more than I would've preferred," she murmured casually. "She's unconscious in the closet now."

"Perfect! Everything's coming together so nicely," Mira squealed. Erza opened her mouth to say something (probably along the line of questioning Mira's sanity), but the loud buzz of her cell phone interrupted her.

While Erza busied herself with a text, Mira set everything up. She poured some of her potion into a paper cup and set the cauldron underneath the nurse's desk. A quick look in the mirror assured Mira that her school nurse disguise was still in tact (despite the fact that Erza's stupid eyes enabled her to see Mira's true form). Mira paced around the nearly empty infirmary as she mentally prepared for the next part of her plan. She just needed Erza to make an intercom announcement calling Lucy up to the nurse's office. But when Mira turned to tell Erza the next step, she found that Erza was in no shape to do much of anything.

Erza's face was pale, eyes wide and still glued to the screen of her cell phone. Her hands were shaking, and her knees were trembling. Mira noticed Erza biting the inside of her cheek as she always did when she got nervous. A quick scan of Erza's aura confirmed what Mira already knew. Whatever text Erza just read had turned her into a mess of anxiety and disbelief and terror. But there was something else there, too. A glimmer of hope and… _Longing?_ The colors swirling around Erza's aura were morphing and blending almost too quickly for even Mirajane to decipher them.

"Erza," Mira murmured, trying to get the fairy's attention. "What's going on?"

"I- I have to go," Erza replied in a rush, shoving her phone in her pocket and moving to leave. Mira went to block her.

"Weren't _you_ the one who wanted to miss as little class as possible? And now you're leaving?"

"This is more important than school," Erza growled, just about shocking Mira's soul out of her body.

" _What?_ Erza, I still need your help! Wait," Mira urged, gripping Erza's arms. Erza plowed straight through her, brushing Mira's grip off with ease.

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but I have more pressing matters at hand. If you'll excuse me."

"But," Mira stammered futily, calling after her. "Soulmates!"

Erza left, leaving Mirajane completely alone in the infirmary. Mira gaped at the empty doorway, baffled by what had just transpired. Erza had just bailedon her. Erza had never just fucking _bailed_ on anybody before, let alone Mira! Worry ate at the back of her mind, knowing that something big must be happening for Erza to drop everything and run. Mira shook it off, confident that Erza could handle whatever problem came her way.

Mira fingered through the little directory book that sat on the nurse's desk and picked up the adjacent phone. Pressing star twice, she followed up by dialing the three digit number that would connect her with Lucy's first period classroom. Mira cleared her throat while the connection was made, preparing herself to imitate the school nurse's voice. Erza, with her fairy magic, would've been able to do it with far greater ease. But desperate times, as the saying goes. When she heard a click on the other end of the line, she knew her voice would be heard over the class's intercom.

"Lucy Heartfilia is needed in the nurse's office right away," Mira said in a smooth, low voice.

"Of course," Professor Lasaro called, his voice sounding distant on the other end of the line.

Mira hung up and prepared for Phase 4. She just had to get Lucy to drink the potion and recite the incantation. Easy. Mira was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she nearly jumped out of her seat when she heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," Mira called, hoping her voice didn't betray her nerves.

In came Lucy Heartfilia, looking somewhat nervous and more than a little apprehensive. It wasn't particularly common for a student to be called up to the nurse's office. Mira gave what she hoped was a reassuring smile, patting one of the spare seats. Lucy walked over, frowning at Mira when she got close.

"What?"

"Nothing. It's just," Lucy paused, as if unsure of how to continue. "You smell a lot like one of my friends."

"We must wear the same perfume," Mira laughed uncomfortably, inwardly kicking herself. _Of course._ Mira forgot about Lucy's heightened sense of smell. Whatever SH that girl was, Lucy had incredible senses.

"So, what's this all about," Lucy asked bluntly, not beating around the bush. Mira barely refrained from rolling her eyes. _She must've picked that up from Natsu._

"I was just looking through students' health records, and I saw that we don't have anything down for you," Mira lied easily. "We usually do health exams in the summer, but you transferred in at the last minute. So we never gave you a physical."

"Oh," Lucy murmured, surprised. "I never knew about it. What do I need to do?"

"For today, I just need to give you some liquid vitamins and an eye exam."

"Sure," Lucy smiled, her expression so friendly it almost made Mirajane feel guilty about her scheming.

Mira handed Lucy the paper cup and watched her down it in one go. Lucy's pretty face twisted into a grimace at the taste, and Mira gave an apologetic smile. A fairy's tears were as bitter as their smiles were sweet. Not to mention that the myriad of other ingredients must've produced a rather _unique_ flavor.

Taking the page she'd copied from Ultear's spell book out of her pocket, Mira tacked it to the wall behind her. The spell's title was conveniently cropped out, leaving the Latin incantation alone on the page. Mira understood the spell's English translation well enough. _May these words of life pour from my lips. May they bring my other half in for a kiss._

"Just read this page aloud," Mira said, positioning Lucy a few feet away from the wall. "And then we'll be done."

"Okay, I guess. I've never had an eye exam in Latin," Lucy said cautiously, still doubtful of "the nurse's" intentions. Nonetheless, she cleared her throat and began to read.

" _Haec verba vitae fundunt labiorum meorum attendite_ ," Lucy read, voice strong and steady. " _Cetera medium conferant osculo_."

Mira held her breath, waiting for some sort of sign. A burst of sound or a flash of light. A change in Lucy's aura, even. Nothing happened. Mira kept staring at Lucy, who only stared back like Mira had grown a second head. Lucy cleared her throat.

"Um, can I go now?"

"Yeah," Mira sighed, shaking her head. "Go ahead."

Lucy started walking to the door, but she stopped abruptly. Mira watched as Lucy put a hand to her forehead, looking faint. Lucy's face suddenly paled, and her knees trembled. Her body started to sway precariously, teetering from side to side. Mira barely caught her before she fell over.

"Lucy," Mira cried, pressing a hand to her face. "What's wrong?"

"I feel sick," Lucy said weakly. "Really sick."

"Hold on," Mira said, scooping Lucy up.

Mira got Lucy to lie on one of the open beds, gently setting Lucy's head on the pillow. Lucy soon slipped into unconsciousness, her breaths deepening even as they grew more strained. Mirajane panicked, knowing that it was her fault. Something must've gone wrong with the spell. Lucy was _fine_ a few minutes ago. _It's my fault. It's my fault. It's my fault._

Mira paced around the nurse's office and tried to figure out what exactly went wrong. The ingredients were right. The words were right. Hell, Lucy had read them perfectly. In the midst of Mira's worry, she didn't even notice the sound of heavy footsteps in the hallway. When the door slammed open, Mira jumped back in alarm. _Natsu._ He was panting, clearly having ran as fast as possible.

" _What in the_ _ **hell**_ _happened to Lucy?_ "

"Natsu-"

"You'd better not make excuses, Mira," Natsu growled, stalking over to where Lucy lay. Mira was startled by the mention of her name, knowing her shapeshifting magic should still be in effect. Then she realized that her scent must've given her away. Natsu's sense of smell was even sharper than Lucy's.

"I was trying to put a simple spell on her," Mira explained, flinched at the glare Natsu fixed on her.

"You're horrible at spells Mira," Natsu hissed, not sugarcoating his words like he normally would. "I can't believe you'd use _Lucy_ as one of your Guinea pigs."

"I'm sorry! It was a super harmless spell, I swear. It only requires a little bit of life force-"

" _Life force,_ " Natsu repeated, face suddenly pale. "Why would you do that?"

"It's not a big deal," Mira insisted. "All SH's have a ton of life force-"

"Lucy's a _Succubus,_ " Natsu hissed, eyes furious. "She has less life force than a _Normal._ She can't afford to have someone messing with it just because they wanna play Witch!"

"I- I didn't know," Mira whispered, guilt gripping her heart like a vice. "I'm so sorry, Natsu."

Natsu sat at the edge of Lucy's bed, the only sound in the infirmary being her ragged breaths. Mira felt an ache in her chest at the anguish on Natsu's face. He was always so easygoing and carefree. She'd never seen him look so distraught. He brushed Lucy's hair from her face with the same kind of gentle touch that one would use to stroke a butterfly's wings. The gesture was so subtle and yet so telling of his feelings for her. He carefully tucked the stray lock behind her ear- and then he started to lean in.

"What are you doing," Mira asked, moving in closer.

"I'm gonna feed her so she doesn't die," Natsu said flatly, his tone far less kind toward Mira than his hands were toward Lucy.

With that, Natsu leaned the rest of the way forward and covered Lucy's mouth with his own. It was like a scene from Snow White or Sleeping Beauty. Mira gasped and stepped back, awestruck. Anyone else might not have noticed anything out of the norm. But Mira's Dexterity, an incredible gift at reading auras, gave her the ability to see beyond the surface. As soon as Natsu and Lucy's lips met, their auras _exploded._

It was like watching a star go supernova. The light that radiated from them was almost too bright and awe inspiring to be real. Flashes of color swirled overhead like the Northern Lights, and the entire room seemed to erupt into shimmers of silver and gold. It was impossible to tell their auras apart. Never in Mira's life had she seen any aura do _that._ It was more beautiful than anything she'd ever seen. What was even stranger, though, was the way their auras instantly went back to normal once Natsu pulled away from the kiss. It was almost enough to make Mirajane wonder if it'd all been a figment of her imagination.

Lucy's eyes fluttered open, and the color returned to her cheeks. The relief on Natsu's face was clearly visible. The rigid anger left his body in a loud gust of air as he sighed in contentment. Mira saw the recognition slowly seep into Lucy's face- as well as the deep crimson of a blush.

"Natsu, I- How did you know-"

"I felt you through The Bond," Natsu interrupted, grabbing Lucy's hand. "I came running as soon as you fell over. Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Lucy nodded. "I'm just a bit dizzy. It's fine."

"I'm so sorry," Mira said remorsefully. "This was all my fault."

"What," Lucy asked, confused. Mira sighed and let go of her hold on her transformation. She saw Lucy gape at her as her appearance shifted back to normal.

"Mira," Lucy gasped. "Is that you?"

"Yeah," Mira groaned, guiltily messing with the ends of her hair and avoiding Lucy's eyes. "I'm sorry. I was just trying to use a simple love spell on you, but it all went wrong."

"I'm okay," Lucy said, shaking off the remaining disbelief over Mira's transformation. "I forgive you."

"No, it's not okay," Mira insisted. "I shouldn't have butted in. I wouldn't have used a spell on you if I'd known that you were a succubus-"

"Natsu," Lucy cried, slapping Natsu's shoulder. He flinched, startled.

"What," he hissed, rubbing his shoulder.

"Why did you tell Mira about me being a succubus," she cried.

"I was panicking, and it just came out," he responded indignantly. Lucy crossed her arms.

"You're the only one that's supposed to know. Well, besides Minerva. And apparently Sting. And I told Juvia on Friday…"

"You didn't tell me Juvia knew," Natsu said, surprised.

The two of them fell into their playful banter, forgetting that they weren't the only people in the room. As per usual. Natsu and Lucy never seemed to realize that they had their own little world, full of light and laughter and tenderness. It was like they were in their own perfect bubble, safe from the danger and difficulties of the real world. The thought made Mira smile. Natsu had never really had a place where he completely fit in; it was nice to see that he'd found a home in someone.

"Well, I should get going," Mira said, trying to subtly excuse herself. "I shouldn't miss anymore class."

"Me, too," Lucy said, trying to get out of bed. She moved too quickly, though, and Natsu had to catch her before she fell over. He pushed her back to the bed, scowling.

"You're not going anywhere," he commanded. "You can barely walk right now."

"But Natsu-"

"And you need more energy," he insisted, not noticing the blush that rose to Lucy's cheeks at the suggestion. Natsu put one hand on the nape of her neck and cupped her cheek with the other. Mira took that as her cue to leave.

"Natsu! Wait-"

Lucy's voice was suddenly muffled, and her protests stopped. Mira had already turned away from them, but the swirl of vibrant colors and the glimmers of light that scattered around the room left no doubt in Mira's mind of how Natsu had quieted his companion. She closed the door behind her, figuring that the two needed some much deserved privacy.

Mira hummed as she skipped back to class, elated. Yes, mistakes were made. The potion hadn't had _quite_ the intended effect, but no one had gotten seriously hurt. And the end result was still the same. _May they bring my other half in for a kiss._ Natsu was drawn to Lucy regardless, and Mira wondered if the spell had simply done what it had to do in order to make him come running. Either way, Mirajane had gathered the intel she needed and was rather pleased by her findings:

Natsu and Lucy were _undoubtedly_ soulmates.

* * *

 **Hope you guys enjoyed! Remember to hit those "follow" and "favorite" buttons. And please leave a review! They brighten my day! Also, make sure to click the "follow author" button to be alerted to my future stories. I have a Gajevy one-shot that's about a quarter of the way written that I think you guys will really love. They haven't gotten much attention in this story, but I do love the ship. Keep an eye out for that in a month or so!**

 **~Mya**


	18. How to Flirt

**A/N: Hey, guys! I hope you're all doing well. Life's been super crazy lately (university admission and scholarships and stuff), but I still managed to crunch some writing time. I hope you like this chapter! Minerva and Lucy give me life. A quick thank you again to everyone who's left a review for this fic! I'm not gonna rave for the ten millionth time about how I can't believe OMAM's popularity, but seriously. Somebody pinch me.**

 **You guys are awesome, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

 _March_

"Let me get this straight: You want me to teach you how to seduce Dragneel?"

"I- um, yeah?"

Lucy fidgeted awkwardly, her face aflame from the embarrassment of her request. It was lunch period, and Minerva had been looking forward to some time alone with her greedy-fingered angel in a broom closet. As per usual, Lucy Heartfilia made it her personal mission to ruin Minerva's plans. With pink cheeks and jittery hands, she'd pulled Minerva to an empty classroom and started rambling in a hushed voice. Something about her being in love with dragon-boy ( _No shit_ , Minerva thought) and that she had no clue what to do about it. Minerva sighed, swiping a hand down her face. As far as requests went, this was definitely one of the stranger ones. What the hell kind of succubus needed help _seducing_ people? Lucy Heartfilia. That's what kind of succubus needed help. Lucy Heartfilia was such a sexually repressed goody-goody that she seemed to be more akin to a Girl Scout than a seductress. Minerva eyed her warily before sighing.

"I suppose it's my job as your Lilith to make sure you don't starve."

"Thank you," Lucy breathed, eyes lighting up. "You'll never know how much I appreciate it. I promise to be the best student-"

"Stop," Minerva groaned, rubbing her temples. "If we're going to do this, you'll have to not do that nervous ramble-thing you always do when you think about boning Lizard Boy."

"I do _not-_ "

"Yes," Minerva interrupted. "You do. Every fucking time."

"I- Fine," Lucy admitted, sighing. "I ramble. It's just- Natsu makes me _nervous_."

"Really," Minerva asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow as she moved to sit atop a desk. "I thought you were friends."

"We are," Lucy insisted, waving her hands. "We're best friends! When we're just hanging out and being buddies, I'm fine. But any time I think about trying to start something more romantic, I choke. What if he turns me down and things get awkward between us? What if-"

"Jesus Christ, cut the teen angst bullshit," Minerva interrupted. Lucy looked taken aback.

"What?"

"If Natsu turns you down, an awkward rift in your relationship would be the last of your worries. You would starve to death," Minerva growled. "You have to look at this as if failing isn't an option because, frankly, it isn't."

"Okay," Lucy mumbled, fussing with her hair. "I guess you have a point."

"Damn right I do. Besides," Minerva said, eyes speculative. "The odds of him turning you down are practically nonexistent."

"You think," Lucy asked, voice timid and eyes hopeful.

"First off, he already offered to bang you. Right now, it might just be a pity fuck, but I doubt it. I think it's stupid that you'll only have sex with him if he professes his undying love to you-"

"That's an exaggeration," Lucy cried, offended. "I just don't want to have sex without knowing that there's something deeper there. And I definitely don't want it to be out of pity."

"Whatever," Minerva huffed, rolling her eyes. "I don't think that'll be a problem. The idiot looks at you like you invented the sun."

Minerva watched Lucy's face sizzle with heat as she stammered silly denials. A small part of her was jealous. Minerva never really had the chance to play the love struck, blushing maiden. She'd been educated on her purpose at the tender age of fourteen and had since given up on any notion of giving her heart away. She and Sting had been having casual sex since they were fifteen (even though their arrangement felt far from casual). Minerva always had to go after what she wanted directly, or else she wouldn't get it. Things never fell in her lap, after all.

Minerva told Lucy to meet her in the foyer after school and slipped away. There was only so much of Lucy's starry-eyed love sickness that Minerva could take at a time. It didn't take long for her to find Sting, who was busy chatting it up with some sophomore Nymph. Minerva clenched her fists, glad that she had long since gotten over the lack of physical restraint that had led to many schoolyard brawls in her youth. Looking back, all of them had been with trashy brats that decided to fawn all over Sting. Strange coincidence.

"Sting," Minerva called, reveling in the way his eyes instantly met hers across the crowded hallway. It was almost as if he'd been waiting to hear his name on her lips, despite his annoying flirtations with some other girl. "Have you eaten?"

"Do you really care," he called back, lips pulling up into a smirk that suggested he thought himself clever. Minerva glared at him, knowing he could see the glint of wicked intent in her eyes.

"Of course," she said nonchalantly. "You see, I think a miniature Chimera got locked in one of the janitor's closets. I need someone with enough stamina to help me tame it."

"That sounds dangerous," Sting said, sauntering over as he went along with the rouse.

"It probably is," Minerva replied, eyes dark. "I heard it scratches. And bites."

"That's unfortunate. I told myself I'd stop tangling with dangerous creatures. The other day I wrestled with a chupacabra, and I still have the claw marks on my back to prove it."

Sting turned and pulled the back of his shirt up, revealing the deep red streaks that swelled on his back. People that saw gasped, appalled at the sight. It only made hunger burn in Minerva's gut. She liked seeing that she left an unmistakable claim on his body. She'd always been the possessive type, and this occasion wasn't any different. _See,_ she wanted to tell their spectators. _He's mine. All mine._ He turned back to her, looking like he was waiting for her to make the next move.

"If you're not up to the task, it's okay. I'm sure I could find someone else," Minerva threatened, relieved when a jealous spark ignited in his gaze.

It felt like empty threats were the only way she could lure him into bed nowadays. Or a hall closet, in this case. Every time she propositioned him, he would be difficult and refuse to give her a direct answer. _But why me?_ his eyes would always ask. He didn't seem satisfied with the explanation of her merely being hungry anymore. The only way to make him desperate for her the way he used to be was to suggest that she find someone else. Otherwise, he'd beat around the bush as if attempting to draw secrets out of her. In the back of her mind, Minerva knows what he wanted her to say. She also knew that saying it would mean giving the last part of herself over to him, which was something she couldn't do.

So they continued this game of cat and mouse, and Minerva dreaded the day Sting finally got tired of the chase. She feared that it was coming soon.

After a romp in the closet that was even more aggressive than usual (Minerva wasn't the only one biting and scratching this time), she went back to class. Energy coursed through her, settling in her bones along with a pleasant rush of dopamine. There was guilt there, too. Sting had been acting strange after sex lately. Aggravated. Disappointed. There was also a bit of self-loathing that Minerva could so closely identify with that it hurt. He used to always look elated afterwards, and seeing that the effect was now the opposite left a bitter taste in Minerva's mouth. It was something akin to shame and regret and wariness. Minerva hated it. She thought of the fact that demons used to be expressly forbidden from even interacting with Nephilim. She used to think the rule was inane, but she now knew why it'd been upheld in the past. Angels needed protection from demons' sinning mouths and hands. Heavens know that Sting certainly did. Slowly, piece by piece, Minerva was tearing him apart. She would ruin him.

After class, Minerva went to meet Lucy in the foyer. She was already waiting where Minerva had instructed her, golden hair falling in a gentle slope down her shoulders. She was texting someone, glaring at the screen of her phone with furrowed brows and a frown twisting her lips. When she saw Minerva, she immediately stood up and shoved her phone in her pocket.

"Something important," Minerva asked, gesturing to where Lucy had stashed her cell. Lucy sighed.

"It's just the _Cupla_ ," Lucy groaned. "Ever since Natsu and I made up, it's been super intense. I can practically feel his heartbeat. And Natsu has a better hang of it than I do, which is frustrating. He's been texting me nonstop, and it's kind of annoying."

As if on cue, Lucy's phone rang. She groaned and set it to voicemail, but it only lit up again. Minerva rolled her eyes and told Lucy to answer it, which she did with apologetic eyes.

"What," Lucy barked, already knowing who was on the other end of the line. A moment passed.

"No, I did not call you annoying," Lucy told her caller, rolling her eyes. "Okay, fine. I did. But it's only because you keep texting me! You don't have to call me every time I feel nervous or anxious. I'm a big girl, and I can handle it."

Pause. Lucy sighed again.

"Yes, Natsu, Minerva's with me. No. She's giving me succubus advice! Natsu, she's actually been really helpful. Yes, I know she used to be a bitch-"

"I can still hear you," Minerva growled. Lucy gave an apologetic smile.

"Look, I've gotta go. And no, you cannot fight Gray. Don't play innocent. The bond works both ways. Promise me. Okay. I have to go. Bye."

Lucy hung up, refocusing her attention back on Minerva.

"Sorry," Lucy said, clapping her hands together in apology. Minerva rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. Follow me," Minerva commanded, walking out of the foyer. Lucy trailed closely behind. They exited the school and made their way to the nearest bus stop. As they waited at the bench, Lucy fiddled with her nail polish and tried not to look too anxious.

"Where are we going," Lucy asked, looking nervous. Minerva smirked, glancing back at her.

"We're going to find you someone to seduce."

 **XOXOXOXOX**

Flirting was officially the most horrendously embarrassing thing in the history of ever. Lucy had never minded the occasional wink and smile to get her way, but beyond that? She was _clueless._ The only one more frustrated with her lack of coquettish expertise than Lucy was Minerva, who'd been granted the task of molding Lucy into something even slightly sexually appealing.

Minerva had dragged Lucy all over the mall and shoved her at any teenage boy that crossed her path. At first, Minerva had tried getting Lucy to practice a simple lust spell. This, as it turned out, wasn't so simple after all.

"Close your eyes and imagine your aura," Minerva said. "Picture your aura wrapping around your target and pulling them closer. Then say ' _illecebra'._ Watch me."

Minerva went up to a guy running one of the stands that sold sunglasses, her stride oozing confidence. After a flip of her hair and the smallest movement of her lips, the man's entire demeanor changed. He was beside himself with utter fascination, his eyes glued to Minerva. The heat in his eyes made Lucy, a mere observer, blush. After a moment of small talk, Minerva left the stand with two new pairs of Ray Bans in hand. Sunglasses that, if Lucy wasn't mistaken, Minerva didn't pay for.

"Here," Minerva said, handing Lucy a pair. "See? Easy."

"Did you just steal from him," Lucy asked, aghast.

"These were a gift. You see, Heartfilia, seduction is the absolute best way to get something you want. If someone desires you, they'll give you anything you ask for."

"This is wrong," Lucy insisted, clutching the glasses. "I'll go back and pay for them."

"These usually retail for 20,000 Jewels. Each."

"I will make up for this someday," Lucy commended, sliding her new shades into her hair and dropping any notion of doing the right thing. She had rent to pay, after all.

Minerva soon enough pushed Lucy towards the food court in hopes of Lucy mimicking her demonstration. It soon became painfully obvious that Lucy didn't have a chance in hell of matching Minerva's prowess. Maybe it was because Lucy hadn't fed, and her level of magical power was significantly lower than the standard succubus. Her kisses with Natsu were enough to keep her from having hunger pains and running her body into the ground, but they weren't enough to give Lucy the magical energy to do much of anything. Ever since the potion mishap with Mirajane, Lucy hadn't even been able to perform an aura spell. Either way, it became abundantly clear that Lucy would have to charm her way into Natsu's heart the old fashioned way.

" _Illecebra_ ," Lucy murmured, on her third attempt at using the simple spell. The guy just blinked at her.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Nothing," Lucy sighed. "Sorry to have disturbed you."

Lucy slinked back to Minerva like a dog with its tail between its legs. This whole thing had been so _embarrassing_. She just wanted to crawl under a rock and die. Trying to woo random strangers was something she never wanted to do ever again. It was just too humiliating.

"You're a disappointment," Minerva huffed. Lucy groaned.

"I know, I know. I just don't think I have enough magical energy to do any spells," she groused, her tone bordering on whiny.

"Then I guess you'll just have to get Natsu into bed using your girlish charm," Minerva observed dryly.

"Yeah," Lucy agreed. "It's probably better that way. I'd feel guilty if I magicked him into wanting me."

"I guess my job here is done," Minerva said, backing away. "This was a complete waste of time."

"Wait," Lucy cried after her, running to catch up. "How am I going to figure out how to flirt with him the normal way?"

"There's this thing called the internet," Minerva called back. "You can find pretty much anything on it!"

And that was how Lucy's browser history ended up being clogged with searches along the lines of " _How to make boys fall in love with you_ " and " _How to get a guy to want you_ " and " _I'm in love. HELP!_ ". Between her bouts of intensive research, she texted Natsu. He'd texted her while she was out "training" ( _What is Minerva making you_ do _? I've been feeling embarrassed for the past hour for no reason!_ ) She insisted that he shouldn't come over because she had a project to focus on. This was half true. She just didn't say that her project was making Natsu fall in love with her.

The night ended without Lucy finding a sure fire way to drive her best friend crazy with need for her. She flopped down onto her bed, face-down, and screamed into her pillow. It didn't take long for her phone to start buzzing in her pocket, and Lucy groaned. Natsu must've sensed her frustration through the _Cupla_.

"This _Cupla_ is really getting on my nerves," Lucy groaned into her phone, not bothering with a greeting. Natsu laughed.

"I like it," he said smugly. "It makes annoying you easier than ever."

"As if you didn't already have an arsenal of ways to get under my skin," Lucy muttered. Natsu laughed.

"You know you love me," he chuckled.

Suddenly, he stopped. Lucy felt a flash of realization and embarrassment through the bond as Natsu realized the implications of what he'd said. An awkward silence took hold of the conversation, and Lucy debated between responses. Should she just laugh it off? Maybe this was the perfect opportunity to confess. _Actually, you're right! I've sort of been pining after you for months. Surprise!_ Yeah, maybe no to that.

"Anyways," Natsu said awkwardly, breaking the silence. He must've sensed Lucy's hesitation through the bond and misinterpreted it. "Why are you so frustrated?"

"Why are you so nosey," Lucy countered, glaring at her ceiling.

"Can't I be a concerned best friend?"

"Yes, you can. You can also be an exhausting one that calls every five minutes," Lucy teased. "And you are."

" _Luuuce._ "

"How was your day," Lucy asked, changing the subject. "Anything interesting?"

"Not really. Erza's been acting weird, but she's Erza," Natsu huffed. "And Gajeel keeps complaining that Levy's dragging him to that school dance next week."

"I totally forgot about that," Lucy gasped, sitting up in bed. "It's the Spring Formal, right?"

"How could you forget about the dance? The flyers are all over. I can't even look around the hallways without being attacked by glitter and neon colors," Natsu complained.

"I've been preoccupied," Lucy huffed. "I used to only notice school dances because of all the people asking me to go, but nobody's asked me this year."

"That's weird," Natsu laughed uncomfortably, making Lucy feel like he had something to do with her lack of suitors. Her heart skipped a beat. Maybe she could bait him into asking her?

"I probably won't go," Lucy sighed, trying to sound casual. "I wouldn't have anyone to dance with."

"You could dance with me," Natsu volunteered. "I thought we already established that I'm a pretty rad dancer."

"Are you asking me to be your date?"

"Yeah," Natsu said, making Lucy's heart skip a beat. _Success!_ Did she actually stand a chance?

"I mean," Natsu continued. "Friends go on dates, right?"

 _Immediately friend-zoned._

"Yeah," Lucy sighed, trying to push back the swell of disappointment. "Friends go on dates, I guess."

"Don't sound so thrilled," Natsu muttered. "If you don't wanna go-"

"I wanna go," Lucy interrupted a bit desperately. "Definitely. I've got some pretty rad dance moves of my own, you know."

"Oh, really? You gonna impress everyone with your ballroom skills," Natsu teased.

"Just you wait, Dragneel. I'm gonna blow your mind," Lucy teased.

"I'm counting on it," Natsu teased back. His voice had this hint of a flirtatious growl that sent violent shivers racing up Lucy's spine.

"Is your room cold," Natsu suddenly asked, sounding concerned. "I can feel you getting goosebumps."

"I left my window open," Lucy lied. "I should probably go so I can, um, close it. _Seeyoutomorrowbye._ "

Lucy hung up and felt wisps of Natsu's confusion through their bond. She didn't exactly feel comfortable explaining that Natsu had just experienced her being turned on through The Bond. She actually didn't feel comfortable explaining any of the feelings he gave her, preferably ever. Talking was awkward, and Natsu was the type of person who understood things much better through actions than words anyways. Lucy would just have to _show_ him how she felt. It was this revelation that made her finally bite the bullet and call Levy for the favor she'd been meaning to ask.

"Lu-chan," Levy answered, sounding confused. "It's kind of late. Are you okay? What's up?"

"I was wondering," Lucy paused, gathering the strength to make her request. " _Does the library have any books about Dragon mating rituals?_ "

Levy gasped.

"Oh my God, _finally._ "

 **XOXOXOXOX**

Natsu really loved the _Cupla._ Like, a lot. He'd always spent about eighty percent of his time worrying about Lucy and what she was doing and how she was feeling. So having a sudden link to her at all times was pretty much the most useful thing ever. He could feel every time she was sad or upset and do his best to make her feel better. Another pro? Finding out that she secretly loved all of his super lame jokes. He'd given her hell over that one.

There was one huge fault of this connection, though. He couldn't turn it off. At all. Not even to masturbate. Look, Natsu wasn't a sexual fiend or anything. Masturbation was not so ingrained in her daily routine that it was impossible to live without. But the sexual repression was driving him absolutely insane. He hadn't masturbated since Gray had mentioned him being loud in the shower out of sheer embarrassment. And by the time the humiliation had faded, he and Lucy were having a fight. And pathetically enough, Natsu had been too sad to rub one out. Which was super lame, but whatever.

And when he and Lucy had finally made up, the bomb was dropped. She'd told him, blushing, that they'd formed some sort of demon bond after making out in the library back in January. (" _It's a combination of trust and physical connection,_ " she'd told him.) Suddenly, everything made sense. That irritating feeling of hair rubbing the back of his neck even though his was short. The random mood swings. The phantom pain he felt when Lucy stubbed her toe on the coffee table or tripped over the leg of a chair. He'd always attributed these things to sympathy or his own imagination. It didn't take long, however, for Natsu to figure out that this meant _all_ of their sensations were shared. Which meant that if Natsu decided to choke the chicken, Lucy would _know._

If _that_ wasn't super embarrassing, Natsu didn't know what was. The very thought made him cringe. He'd complained about it to Gray, but the idiot didn't understand. ( _"Shouldn't she be fine with you masturbating? Orgasms feel awesome."_ ) Natsu had to make a few comparisons for Gray to understand the seriousness of the situation. ( _"Imagine if Juvia felt it every time you jacked off." "Fuck._ _ **That**_ _."_ ) Ultimately, Natsu had only gotten a sympathetic pat on the back and a "Sucks to be you". Which was so fucking helpful.

 _Not_.

So by the week of the school dance, Natsu was pretty tightly wound. Everything seemed to turn him on. The sway of Lucy's hips when she walked. The curve of her smile. The brush of her fingers against his collar when she frowned and adjusted his sloppy necktie. Fuck, even the way she did her _math homework_ was sexy. It even felt like she'd been _flirting_ with him lately, which made no goddamned sense at all. It was all Natsu could do to not be constantly aroused. He was lucky that Lucy's succubus appetite made her frequently confuse his arousal with her own hunger. The consequences would be too painfully unthinkable otherwise.

The results of Natsu's sexual frustration were actual frustration (even the way Gray _breathes_ is annoying) and unwarranted aggression (because Gray deserves to be punched in the face, even if the reason why is not yet apparent). In the end, the only one that might be more exasperated with Natsu's blue balls was Gray, who was the target of all of Natsu's pent up aggression. Looking back, Natsu almost felt bad about it.

"What the fuck was that for," Gray hissed one day at lunch, cradling his jaw. "Why in the hell did you just walk up and punch me?"

"Because I was pissed off by your ugly face," Natsu growled back.

"Don't be a dick because you need to get laid," Gray grit out. Natsu bared his teeth.

"You _motherfucker-_ "

They were interrupted by the sound of someone sitting at their table. The two of them looked up, and their stomachs instantly dropped. _Erza._ They hadn't even noticed her coming in their rage. They held their breaths, waiting for her to violently berate them for their misconduct. But nothing happened. She just ate her food in a daze, her unfocused eyes trained on the table.

"Erza," Gray prodded cautiously. She looked up.

"Yes?"

"Are you… okay?"

"Of course," she smiled, looking tired. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You didn't yell at us for fighting," Natsu blurted out, hissing when Gray elbowed his side. Erza frowned.

"Oh. I didn't notice. I'll do better next time," she promised, sounding distant.

Erza went back to eating. Natsu and Gray shot each other confused looks, neither saying anything. What could they possibly make of this? They should probably be relieved, but neither of them could rest. Worry started to eat at Natsu. This was definitely not the Erza that had scared him away from the path of juvenile delinquency. This wasn't the Erza that had beaten him within an inch of his life back when they were thirteen, having found him in an empty classroom with a gallon of gasoline and fire fluttering from his fingertips. This was not the Erza that'd trembled as she patched him up afterwards, telling him that evil deeds hurt those who loved you the most.

Natsu's back straightened when she felt Lucy approaching nearby. She entered the lunchroom a few moment later, and it was like someone had suddenly shone a spotlight in the crowded room. Gray caught were Natsu's attention was focused and rolled his eyes, scooting over to make room for the blonde. Lucy's face broke out in a huge grin when her eyes found his, and Natsu couldn't help but grin back. She practically skipped over to their table, and Natsu felt her happiness at seeing him through their _Cupla_. It made a giddy feeling bubble up in his stomach.

"Hi," she breathed, sitting right next to him. The entire right side of his body buzzed when her arm brushed his.

"Hey," he breathed back, lips twitching up in a grin.

"Hi, Gray," Lucy said, smiling at him across the table. Gray gave an absent wave, his eyes focused on something in the distance. Natsu scented the air and scoffed when he realized who it was. _Juvia._ A quick peak across the room and Natsu saw that she was eating lunch across the table. With Lyon.

"That's weird," Natsu frowned, observing the pair. Gray scowled.

"Whatever. It's not like I care," Gray muttered.

"I think they're going to the dance together on Friday," Lucy said, voice nonchalant. Natsu could feel her intentions through The Bond, though. She was curious, wanting to get a rise out of Gray. Natsu gave her a smirk, knowing she could get a vague sense of his thoughts. _Fiend._ She smothered her grin.

"No, they're not. She'd never go with him," Gray said, not sounding too confident despite his words.

"She told me herself," Lucy murmured. "She said no one else asked her, so I told her to go with him. It looks like she took my advice."

"You _didn't_ ," Gray accused, looking betrayed. "Why would you tell her to go out with that loser?"

"Why not," Lucy asked innocently. "Is there another loser that she should go with instead?"

Lucy didn't get an answer to her question. Gray abruptly got up and left, not even bothering to take his tray with him. Natsu cackled evilly, somewhat relieved that he wasn't the only guy in their social circle with girl troubles. Lucy sighed, staring after Gray.

"I was hoping he'd go after her," she whined.

"No way," Natsu said, throwing an arm around her shoulder. "The only way they're getting together is if Juvia finally wears him down. She was getting pretty close, but this Lyon business might've hurt her cause."

"She doesn't even like Lyon," Lucy hissed. "I told her to go along with it so Gray gets jealous and goes after her!"

"Gray doesn't handle jealousy well. You probably ruined their relationship for good," Natsu teased.

"Argh," Lucy groaned, facepalming. Natsu laughed, earning an elbow to his ribs.

"Jeez," he complained, rubbing his side.

"What do you think, Erza? Is there hope," Lucy asked, trying to draw the redhead into the conversation.

"What," Erza asked, confused. "Sorry. I wasn't paying attention."

"Are you okay," Lucy asked, looking concerned. "You've been kinda out of it."

"It's nothing," Erza said, turning back to her food. "I'm fine."

Lucy shot Natsu as worried look, which he reciprocated. They'd already mastered nonverbal communication, and the addition of the bond had made it ridiculously easy for them to have private conversations in a room full of people. He could practically hear her voice in his head. _What's wrong with Erza?_ He shook his head. _I don't know._

After a few more unsuccessful attempts at drawing Erza into conversation, Natsu and Lucy settled on keeping the conversation between the two of them. After lunch was over, he walked her back to class. They were mostly quiet, walking close enough for their arms to brush. It was moments like this, when they were both silent and oh so close, that the air between them seemed to crackle with electricity. It was enough to drive Natsu insane. When they reached her class, she turned to him with humor in her eyes.

"What color tie are you wearing for the dance? We should coordinate," she joked. Natsu grinned.

"I don't know. I might follow Gray's lead and show up naked."

"That might not be the best idea," Lucy laughed. "Besides, I'm looking forward to seeing you all dolled up."

"Oh, really," Natsu murmured, a flirtatious lilt to his voice.

He stepped forward, entering her bubble. The move was somewhat predatory, and a part of him was worried that he'd invaded her space. She had the tendency to skitter away like a mouse when frightened. Lucy shocked the hell out of him, though. She didn't bolt- didn't even take a step back. With a devious flutter of her lashes, she hooked her fingers in the belt loops of his pants and pulled him even closer. Natsu breath caught in his throat, and he tried not to stumble. His heart was beating a million miles an hour, and he was struggling to form a coherent thought.

A jolt went down his spine, and his fingers twitched. Natsu felt this simultaneous urge to both cradle her gently in his arms and throw her up against a wall to ram his hips against hers. Seeing as how he couldn't do either, Natsu restrained himself to shoving his hands deep in his pockets and looking down. This was Lucy Heartfilia. Sweet, perfect, untouchable Lucy Heartfilia. Even though she was a succubus, there was no way that she'd want him to touch her with his calloused hands- especially not in the way he so desperately wished he could. But damn if the look she was giving him now didn't make him almost forget he didn't stand a chance.

"I'm going to wear red," she murmured, regaining his attention and drawing his eyes up to meet hers.

"That's my favorite color," Natsu replied, throat tight. One side of her mouth quirked up into the smallest of smiles.

"I know."

Natsu was pulled from his daze when a loud beep sounded over the intercom. It was a good thing that the bell for class rang in that moment because he had no clue what he would've done otherwise. Kissed her, probably. _Hard_. It wasn't like they hadn't kissed before, but this kiss would've been different. It wouldn't have been to feed her. Its sole purpose would've been to satiate his need to taste her tongue and feel her softness pressed against him. The kiss would've been for _Natsu,_ without any pretense of necessity or survival. The thought of her knowing how he felt was a little bit terrifying.

Natsu stepped back, heat flooding his face. Lucy's confidence seemed to falter, because she ripped her hands away from the belt loops of his pants like they'd burned her. Blush spread across her cheeks, and she dropped her gaze to the floor. The two of them stayed like that for a moment, eyes restlessly flitting around the hall. They looked everywhere but each other, and Natsu wished more than anything in that moment that he wasn't such a coward.

"Um," he stammered. "I gotta get to class."

"Of course," she squeaked. "We can talk later."

"Yeah. Uh, bye."

He left her there, in front of her class. This time, it was Natsu that skittered away like a mouse.

* * *

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this one! Next chapter: School Dance. I have it mostly written, but I'm struggling to finish it. So how about this:**

 **If I reach 1,350 reviews by Friday (yes, this Friday) I will upload the next chapter then. If not, I'll post it on the 15th as per usual. I just think this is a good way to motivate myself to get the damned thing finished. Sound good to you guys? Review, follow this story, and add me on Tumblr! (My username is the same as it is on here.) See you later, gators!**

 **~Mya**


	19. Staring at the Sun

**A/N: Holy smokes, Batman! You did it! Round of applause guys. Seriously. The amount of reviews I got for the last chapter was almost staggering. You're awesome. As promised, here is the latest chapter. I would've posted earlier, but the site was down early this morning, so I had to wait. I hope you guys dig it. Shout out to everyone with nothing better to do on a Friday night than read fan fiction. Lord knows that I have nothing better to do than write it.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The day of the school dance came in the blink of an eye. Lucy had spent every night that week pouring over the book on dragons that Levy had given her. There wasn't much information on the specifics of dragon mating, likely due to the fact that they'd been extinct for more than a thousand years. It was theorized that dragons' mating rituals were similar to that of lizards- or that of demons. So Lucy dug out a book on demons and made a list of things that could possibly attract Natsu to her.

 _Bright colors._ Lucy ran her fingers over the vivid scarlet fabric of the dress Mira had lent her. It was undeniably sexy, simple and form fitting in a way that showed off every one of Lucy's exaggerated curves. She paired it with shiny, rhinestone jewelry that was sure to draw eyes from everywhere in the room. _Check._

 _Dominance._ This one was trickier. Ultimately, she'd asked for help from her friends. She would feign bossiness, and they'd go along with it. Lucy still wasn't quite sure about this one, but she'd give it a try.

 _Dancing._ What _else_ would you do at a school dance?

 _Pheromones._ This one wasn't clearly explained, and Lucy was confused by the concept. As far as she knew, there was no way to just turn up your body's pheromone level. So she wasn't even gonna attempt to.

Other than the sparse notes she'd made to rile up Natsu's dragon, it was completely up to Lucy and her feminine wiles to attract Natsu's interest. This was definitely not her specialty. She was cute, yes. At times, she even felt like she looked kinda sexy. But _acting_ sexy? This flirtatious behavior was completely new to her. She'd made a total idiot of herself when she'd tried to flirt with him a few days before. Lucy had tugged on the belt loops of his pants and fluttered her lashes- the whole nine yards. But she'd only succeeded in making him feel awkward, as well as embarrassing herself. This time, though, she was going to get it right. Making Natsu fall for her was a matter of life or death, after all.

Lucy adjusted her appearance almost obsessively, constantly fidgeting with her hair and makeup while she waited for Natsu to pick her up. At first, her hair had been sleek and straight. Then, she decided to curl it. Then she ran a brush through it in frustration as she tried to muss it and create a sexy bedhead look. Then she put it up in a bun and immediately let it back down, not liking the way it looked. She was almost ready to scream and shave it all off when she heard a knock at the door. And then the panic came.

"Luce," Natsu called, knocking again. "You okay? I can feel you stressing you out."

"I look like a mess," Lucy called back, panicking. "I can't go to the dance like this!"

"Lucy, you can wear sweats and one of your weird face masks for all I care," he said, voice muffled by the door. "C'mon! Open the door!"

Lucy sighed before making her way to the door, none too enthusiastically. She took a deep breath before opening it up, and air left the room as soon as she saw Natsu. He was wearing a red tie, just like she'd told him to. The part of her that wasn't completely brain dead at how attractive he was smirked at that observation. But then all of her was floored at Natsu's reaction to seeing _her_ when she felt him through the _Cupla_.

To say he was appreciative would be an understatement. He was shocked and filled with… admiration? No, it was stronger than that. Lucy focused on their Bond and felt the stirrings of lust. It took all her willpower to not highfive herself. Especially when she looked up at him and saw his eyes glued to her, jaw tense. He _so_ thought she was hot. Any concerns that she looked like a trainwreck flew out the window.

"Um," he finally croaked. " _That's_ you looking like a mess?"

"I didn't know what to do with my hair," she whispered back, self-consciously tugging on a lock of it.

"Leave it down," he said, reaching forward to push a stray piece away from her face. "I like it down."

Heat flooded Lucy's skin, and she had to keep herself from shivering at the pleasant sensation of his fingers brushing the spot behind her ear. It took Lucy a moment to find her voice.

"Okay."

They stayed like that for a moment, standing in her door with neither of them mentioning the mutual lust that hovered between them. Eventually, Natsu cleared his throat and looked at her expectantly.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah," Lucy smiled. "I just need to get my purse and my jacket."

He waited for her, leaning against the doorway. When she had everything she needed, she turned all the lights in her apartment off. After locking the door behind her, she turned to see Natsu waiting with his hand extended to her. Her heart practically burst with adoration, and butterflies batted around in her stomach almost violently. Lucy laced her fingers through his, wondering how someone's hand could be so warm. Times like this, when she wasn't focused on love or lust or any of the confusing feelings that plagued their relationship, she could just relax and let herself be happy. At the end of the day, Natsu was her best friend in the entire world. When he was close, it felt like anything was possible.

 **XOXOXOXOX**

The only things Juvia could focus on were a) how uncomfortable her dress was and b) how much she wanted Gray Fullbuster to notice her in said uncomfortable dress. She sat at a little table in the corner and sighed. Gajeel and Levy were on the floor dancing, looking like they were having a great time as they busted out in dated disco moves. Natsu and Lucy were at the table next to her, animatedly talking about something or other. And Gray? He leaning against a wall on the opposite side of the gym, looking bored. He hadn't danced with anyone yet, and Juvia so badly wanted to ask him to dance. She was afraid he'd turn her down, though. It was a weird feeling, fearing rejection. In normal circumstances she would just dive straight in, but Gray had been even more distant than usual; she was afraid she'd just be a nuisance.

"Juvia," Lucy called, getting the siren's attention.

"Yes," Juvia answered absently, her eyes still glued to Gray.

"Can you get us some drinks," Lucy asked, her voice making the question more of a demand. Juvia arched a brow before remembering the blonde's ridiculous request. _Can you do what I say at the dance so I look dominant? Please! It's for the pursuit of love, I swear!_

"Sure," Juvia sighed, rolling her eyes at the intrigue on Natsu's face. At least Lucy's silly ploy was working, apparently.

Juvia had to wait in line for nearly ten minutes to get three small cups of fruit punch. She had to avoid Lyon on her way back to the table. Things had been awkward since she'd rejected his offer to attend the dance together. Lucy had told Juvia to go with him to make Gray jealous, but Juvia couldn't do it. Jealousy was a poisonous emotion (Juvia knew better than anyone), and she would never want her beloved to fall victim to such a toxic feeling. Juvia had tried eating lunch with Lyon as a sort of apology for not being his date, but it'd been unbearably awkward. Avoidance was obviously the best way to go about the present situation.

Juvia set the cups down on the table and immediately went back to her fruitless pining. Her eyes searched the room for Gray, only to find him dancing with Ultear in the center of the gym. A sour taste clung to the back of Juvia's throat, and she felt an ache wrap around her lungs. It threatened to suffocate her. The dancing was platonic, sure. They were feet apart, looking more like two people dancing individually than a couple dancing together. Juvia knew that Ultear wasn't a love rival (unlike Lucy and any other cute blonde that crossed Gray's path). But Juvia still couldn't help but wonder if Gray had been the one to ask Ultear to dance. Ultear, and not Juvia.

She watched as Ultear leaned up to whisper something in Gray's ear and saw Gray's eyes widen in response. A bitter taste saturated Juvia's tongue, and she started to wonder if the two of them were as platonic as she'd previously thought.

"Gray's a pretty good dancer," Lucy observed, reaching for her cup of punch. "I should've known. He brought the house down during truth or dare."

"I'm better," Natsu groused, taking a sip from his cup. And immediately spitting it out.

"What the hell is in this," he complained, trying to smell its contents.

Lucy followed Natsu's lead and sniffed at her punch. She wrinkled her nose and pulled away, obviously having placed the mystery ingredient.

"Looks like someone spiked the punch with a bit of liquid courage," Lucy murmured, eyes flitting over to where the punch bowl resided. Juvia's eyes brightened.

"Liquid courage? The potion," Juvia clarified, reaching for her cup. "That's exactly what Juvia needs right now!"

Lucy opened her mouth to refute, waving her hands in the air. But it was too late. Juvia downed the contents of her cup in one go, wincing at the taste. Before Natsu or Lucy could react, she took both of their cups and downed them as well. A pleasant buzz made Juvia's bones tingle. She could do _anything_ now. She stood from her seat and set her eyes on Gray.

"Juvia," Lucy said worriedly, trying to grab her attention. "Maybe we should go outside, and you can cool off."

"Maybe later," Juvia said, eyes darkening as she caught Gray's eye in the crowd. "Juvia wants to see if Gray-sama dances as well with a _real_ partner."

 **XOXOXOXOX**

It didn't take Natsu long to remember why he didn't normally do school dances. Everyone was gross and sweaty, and there were so many smells that it overwhelmed Natsu's nose. Sure, there were pluses to the situation. There was a pretty great energy about the dark, smokey gymnasium. The heavy beat of the music and the erratic flashes of color from the light machine were electrifying. All of his friends were there, laughing and having a good time. Even Gray was having fun. Juvia had dragged him to a dark corner of the dance floor an hour before, and he didn't seem to be complaining. And _Lucy_.

She was both the greatest benefit of his present situation and the greatest disadvantage. She was so _gorgeous_. Honestly, he'd be content to just sit and stare at her as she danced around in that red dress. Of course, Lucy wouldn't have that. They'd been pretty much attached at the hip since they'd arrived. Her arm was looped through his, and he had to try his hardest to focus on anything other than the soft press of her body against his. Or the way she kept looking at him.

Natsu was now completely sure that she was flirting with him. There was no other possible explanation for her behavior. The coy smiles and suggestive remarks. Sneaky brushes of her fingers on his skin every time she went to brush his hair off his forehead. Even their _friends_ had noticed, giving them sly looks and making not-so-subtle remarks on their closeness. Natsu was an awkward mess. He had no clue how to react to this new development. Should he go along with it and flirt back? Should he make a move?

A part of him (a big part) was worried. He remembered Lucy's rejection from before, and he couldn't help but wonder where this sudden change was coming from. Maybe her hunger had gotten so severe that it was affecting her behavior. Maybe Lucy was no longer herself, and responding to her advances now would be the equivalent of taking advantage of someone who was drunk. And the worst thing imaginable was taking advantage of Lucy. Just the thought made Natsu's stomach churn. So he resisted the urge to touch her. He resisted the urge to mash his lips against hers and run his fingers through her hair. He resisted the urge to suck at her skin and mark her body with his teeth- to mate her. But damn if Natsu's restraint wasn't taking a toll on him.

"Dance with me," Lucy demanded. Her previous insistence hadn't worked on him, his fear of losing control keeping him glued to his seat. Natsu shook his head. She groaned.

"I thought you promised to wow me with your rad dance moves," she reminded him, crossing her arms. God, she was even cute when she was angry.

"I'm not sure the student body can handle my mad skills," he joked. "Sorry, Luce. I might be breaking this promise."

"You're not the only one who made a promise, you know," she murmured, leaning in. Natsu just about choked on his own spit.

"Really," he asked, voice strained and uncomfortable. "What was your promise?"

"That I'd _blow_ _your_ _mind_ ," she replied, voice low and sultry.

 _Damn._

Lucy didn't give Natsu time to regain his composure. She pulled him from his seat and dragged him to the dance floor. Natsu stumbled behind her, prisoner to her grip on his wrist. She tugged him to the middle of the gym, in the center of the noise and chaos. The heady club beat pulsed in his veins, matching the rhythm of his frantic heartbeat. Lucy's skin was covered in a sheen of sweat, slick with the room's humidity. The sight made something dangerous coil in Natsu's stomach. He almost wanted to look away. It felt like he was staring at the sun.

"Dance with me," she commanded again. Her voice was softer this time- more vulnerable. And Natsu could never turn her down when she was being vulnerable.

As if under her spell, his arms lifted from his sides and wrapped around her waist. She threw her arms around his neck and grinned, setting the world on fire. It was times like this when Natsu wondered if Lucy wielded flames better than he did. No one else had ever made him _burn_ the way she did. In that moment, he wondered if anyone else ever would.

They danced like that for a few songs, giddy with adrenaline and bold under the cover of darkness. It was different from how they danced before. _Lucy_ was different. She was still soft and warm and smiling. But she was no longer gentle or soothing. Her skin felt electric beneath Natsu's hands, frying his brain and sending his pulse skyrocketing. And instead of calming Natsu down, she was getting him all fired up.

Lucy turned in the opposite direction, pressing her back against his chest and bracing her palms against his thighs. She pressed harder against him, grinding her hips into his and looking over her shoulder at him with eyes that made his stomach clench. Her hair was plastered to her neck, her skin a sticky mess after so much dancing. Strangely enough, it only made him want her more. He wanted her exactly like this: hot and sweaty and grinning from ear to ear. She was overwhelming his senses, making his head spin. Suddenly, Natsu heard a pulse thudding loud and clear in his ears. And it wasn't his own.

He could feel his heartbeat trying to sync up to Lucy's, and her scent flared. Her head tilted a little to the side as she continued to dance against him, exposing her pulse point. She probably didn't even know what she was doing, and the minute gesture would've seemed like nothing to anyone else. But not to a dragon. When dragon's exposed their necks, it was an _offering._ Everything in Natsu's body was telling him to sink his teeth into the juncture between her neck and shoulder. _Mark her_ , a voice whispered greedily. _Mark her. Taste her._ _ **Fuck**_ _her._ It was too much. This was all too much.

Natsu took a step back, wanting to put some space between them so he could just breathe. Lucy felt him back away and spun around, looking confused. Natsu jerked his head in the direction of the bathrooms, and she frowned. She let him go, though, and he tried not to look like he was running away from her. Which he was.

The bathroom was empty, something Natsu was grateful for. He headed straight for the sink and twisted the tap for cold water. He cupped it in his palms and splashed his face with it, trying to cool down. He looked up to see his face more flushed and red than he'd ever seen it before. More water. He needed more water.

It took about five minutes of dunking his head in a sinkful of icy water to feel any semblance of normalcy. By the time he was done, the collar of his shirt was soaked, and the tips of his hair were dripping. Natsu shook his head back and forth and swept his hair back from his forehead. Calm. He was calm. His head was cleared, and he could think.

Natsu assessed the situation. His best friend/girl of his dreams was definitely flirting with him. This was a fact. She was also a succubus that may or may not be at the mercy of her hunger. This was also a fact. If Natsu responded to her advances and found out later that she wasn't in her right mind, he would feel like the scum of the earth. If Natsu didn't make a move and later found out that the girl giving him those soul-scorching smiles was all Lucy, he would hate himself. Probably forever. _God_ , why did these things have to be so damned complicated?

Natsu left the bathroom without any clue as to how he was going to handle the situation. He checked Lucy's emotions through their _Cupla_ on the way back and snorted when he felt a flash of utter boredom. His grin faded when his felt the tinge of loneliness that'd emerged in response to his absence. Natsu's eyes scanned the room for Lucy the second he reentered the gym, and it took mere moments to find her. The red of her dress drew his attention like a moth to a flame, and the sight of her had him paralyzed. She was sitting at one of the tables, her chin in her hands as she stared out at the dance floor. The gold of her hair was flashing blue under the festive lighting, and Natsu couldn't help but be tantalized yet again by her beauty.

"You know," a feminine voice said beside him. "She was ridiculously excited for this dance."

Natsu looked over to see Levy McGarden standing next to him, expression wistful. Natsu didn't ask who she was talking about, seeing her gaze aimed in the same direction his had been mere moments ago. He looked back at Lucy.

"Yeah," he said thoughtfully. "You should've seen her freaking out about her hair when I picked her up."

"I'll bet," Levy laughed. "She puts a lot of effort in her appearance."

"I don't know why," Natsu huffed. "It's not like anyone else's opinion matters. She should just do what makes her happy."

"Natsu," Levy said, tone chiding. "You don't really think she cares about everyone else's opinion, do you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Lucy doesn't do the things she does for the benefit of everyone else," Levy said, voice playful. "The only opinion that matters to her is yours."

Natsu's breath caught. There was a pause in the conversation, and the only sound seemed to be the psychedelic whirl of his own mind. After a few moments passed, Natsu spoke.

"What should I do," he finally asked, throat tight.

"What do you want to do?"

"Right now? I kind of wanna ask her to marry me."

"Maybe start with asking her to dance," Levy laughed, patting Natsu's shoulder. "Lucy's kind of old fashioned. She'd probably want to date someone before marriage. Weird, I know."

"Good idea," Natsu said, feet still glued to the floor. "I'll do that."

"Go," Levy chuckled, pushing him forward. "Before someone else asks her."

Natsu shuffled forward, feeling like his legs had a mind of their own. Her pull was almost magnetic at this point, and he was powerless against it. Soon enough, he was staring down at her and trying to think past how pretty her eyes were. _Focus, Natsu. Focus._ She blinked up at him, one side of her mouth stretching into a glum smile.

"What's up," she asked, fingers twisting in the fabric of her dress. "Are you ready to go?"

"No," Natsu replied, tone full of conviction. "I'm not."

"Oh," Lucy frowned, looking surprised. "Then what are we doing?"

Natsu grinned and pulled her abruptly from her seat, chortling at the little gasp that left her mouth. He wrapped an arm around her waist and started leading her to the center of the gym, leaning in to whisper in her ear.

"We're gonna dance, Princess. And I'm gonna blow _your_ mind."

 **XOXOXOXOX**

Gray never thought that he would die at a school dance. It wasn't the worst way to go out, he supposed. Most people would be thrilled if their last moments on Earth were consumed by a siren hell-bent on grinding against them. It was like someone reached into his ribcage, curled their fingers around his heart, and _squeezed_. The feeling was too much. It was all too much.

When Lyon asked to cut in, Gray's relief had actually outweighed his jealousy. He felt guilty when he saw the twinge of disappointment in Juvia's features as he backed away, but he knew he couldn't stay. The sway of her hips and the mystery of her eyes was about to give Gray a meltdown. He left her there with Lyon, practically sprinting out of the gym. He needed to get out of there. Fast.

Gray bursted through the school's front doors with unnecessary force, sighing in relief when the cool night air caressed his overheated skin. As his breathing slowed and his pulse calmed down, Gray looked down to see a familiar silhouette sitting on the steps in front of the school. Her crimson hair gleamed in the moonlight, and the proud set of her shoulders was unmistakable. Gray went to sit beside her, deciding to share her contemplative silence as he looked up at the full moon hanging overhead.

"Rogue couldn't come tonight," Gray said after a while. "With the full moon and all. Being a werewolf must suck."

"I'm sure there are worse things to be," Erza murmured back, staring up at the sky.

"Probably. What are you doing out here?"

"The same thing as you," Erza said cryptically, lips curling. "I'm thinking about someone."

Gray looked away, cheeks flooding with color. Erza always seemed to know instinctively whenever Juvia was on his mind. Her accuracy was almost uncanny. Erza's words played in his head again. _I'm thinking about someone._ Suddenly, Gray's mind flashed to the conversation he'd had with Ultear on the dance floor earlier that night.

"Ultear told me about Jellal," Gray said softly, glancing over to gauge Erza's reaction. "She said he's out of juvie."

Erza didn't say anything at first, gaze fixed on something in the distance. When Gray started to think she wasn't going to say anything, Erza responded.

"It was my fault they put him in there to begin with."

"You can't be serious," Gray muttered, swiping a hand down his face. "Erza, I heard about what he did. He set an orphanage on fire. He- _He cut off your wings_."

"That wasn't him. That- Jellal never would've done that," Erza insisted, wringing the silk of her dress between clenched fists. "Not if he'd been in his right mind. Not if I hadn't used my magic on him."

" _What_ ," Gray gaped. "You used fairy magic on a _Normal_? You-"

"I was young, and I didn't know. Maybe if I'd been raised by fairies instead of humans, someone would've told me. But I wasn't."

Erza curled into herself, drawing her legs closer to her body and resting her chin on her knees. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"My parents were murdered when I was four, and I had to live in a human orphanage until I was eleven. The owners of the orphanage were later convicted for child abuse, but that was only after the place got burned to the ground. You know this. But what you don't know is that Jellal lived in that same orphanage with me."

Gray drew in a breath but stayed otherwise silent. He gave Erza a reassuring nod, and she continued.

"He was the only one I ever told about being a fairy. He kept my secret, and he protected me when things got rough. I- I wanted to repay him somehow. And he'd always been so fascinated by my wings. I hid them most of the time, but when we were alone he always asked to see them. So I thought that I could use my magic to teach him how to fly."

"Oh, Erza," Gray whispered, his voice tinged with sympathy. She gave a sad smile.

"It was wonderful at first. We'd sneak out at night and soar over all the buildings, and he told me that my magic made him feel invincible. But after a few weeks, he started acting weird. He became harsh and demanding. He started telling me that I should use my magic to get rid of the owners of the orphanage- that we should take over the place together."

"What did you do," Gray asked, brows furrowed.

"I told him he was crazy," Erza said, biting the inside of her cheek. "We were only kids, and he was talking about overthrowing a bunch of grown ups. I thought that if I discouraged him, he'd eventually give up on the idea. But I was wrong. He rounded up a group of kids and started chaos. When everybody was distracted, he took me to the cellar and tied me up. He asked me one last time to join him, but I turned him down. Then he took out a knife and started cutting off my wings. There was so much blood, Gray, and it hurt so badly that I blacked out from the pain. I woke up outside on the sidewalk, and the orphanage was burning. And my wings were gone."

"What happened after that?"

"Firemen came, and so did the police. Someone ratted Jellal out, and he was charged with arson and sent to a juvenile detention center. He still had my wings in his hands when they took him away."

"Erza," Gray murmured. "You can't blame yourself for what happened."

"But it was _my_ fault," Erza sighed, resting her head in her hands. "Fairy magic will drive a human insane, and I used mine on him every night for weeks before I even noticed anything was wrong. By the time I figured out what was happening, it was too late. If I'd stopped sooner, the magic would've worn off before anything serious happened."

"You didn't know," Gray insisted. "You couldn't have known."

Erza didn't say anything, and Gray put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Her eyes shined with unshed tears, and she cast her gaze down to the pavement.

"I want to see him," Erza whispered. "I want to see him so badly, but I'm too afraid."

"Afraid? Because of what he did to you," Gray asked. "Are you scared that he'll hurt you again?"

"No," Erza bit out, shaking her head vehemently. "Ultear and Meredy went to see him. They said he's better now, and I believe them. I'm afraid- I'm afraid that he'll hate me. I feel so guilty about what I did to him-"

"Erza-"

"I never went to see him. Not a single time. I was so scared that he would blame me for everything. And now I'm just a lovesick coward."

A tear slipped down her cheek, and Gray blanched. He had no clue what to say. He wasn't used to this soft, vulnerable version of Erza, and he didn't know how to comfort her. Soon enough, the awkwards silence became almost palpable. He wrapped an awkward arm around her shoulders and cleared his throat.

"You know," Gray started. "Jellal probably feels pretty guilty about what happened, too."

"Probably," Erza stiffened, looking up at Gray.

"He probably thinks _you_ hate _him_."

"What are you talking about," Erza asked indignantly. "I could never-"

"I know you don't! But Jellal might not. People think all sorts of crazy things when they feel guilty about something," Gray sighed. "You should talk to him soon. Clear the air."

"And if he hates me and says he never wants to speak to me again?"

"Then he's missing out," Gray said, patting her head. "Because you're one of the most awesome people I know."

"Thank you," Erza murmured, wiping her tear-stained cheeks.

"For what," Gray asked, pulling his arm back as she stood up and readjusted her dress.

"For everything."

Erza flashed him one of those soft Erza-smiles before heading down the steps. Gray saw her pull her phone out of her pocket as she walked away, dialing a number and pressing it to her ear.

"Um, Jellal? It's Erza. Ultear gave me your number, and I was wondering if- If maybe we could meet…" Erza's voice faded as she got further away, and Gray gave a sigh of relief. She'd been so strange and distant the past couple of weeks. He hoped that everything would turn out for her. He sat like that for a moment, breathing in the cold night air and trying to clear his mind. Gray was jerked from his thoughts when the school's doors thudded behind him. He whirled around to see Juvia stumbling in the doorway with shaky legs and a flushed face. Gray rushed to her.

"Juvia? What's wrong," he asked frantically, wrapping an arm around her waist and leading her to the stairs. She groaned.

"Too much liquid courage," Juvia mumbled.

"Liquid courage? _Oh my God_ ," Gray hissed, giving her a more thorough once-over. "Did you drink the punch?"

Juvia nodded helplessly and leaned into him, and Gray cursed whatever powers that be. Juvia was an incredibly emotional drunk, and it was the mission of anyone accompanying her to an outing to make sure she never ingested alcohol. Natsu and Lucy were supposed to keep an eye out, but they were probably too busy eye-fucking each other to notice Juvia getting smashed on spiked punch. Gray rubbed her back as he swiped a hand over her face. He was gonna have to take her home, and soon.

"Gray-sama," Juvia whimpered, voice muffled by his shoulder. Gray tensed.

"What?"

"Where did Gray-sama go? Juvia," she hiccuped, tears soaking through Gray's shirt. "Juvia missed him."

Gray's heart clenched so painfully that he feared he was in danger of actual cardiac arrest.

"I was talking to Erza," Gray answered honestly. "She was having guy trouble."

"Erza would never have guy trouble. She's too powerful," Juvia mumbled. "Everyone loves Erza."

"That's one take on it," Gray laughed.

"Juvia wishes she was like Erza."

" _Juvia_ -"

Juvia was suddenly very green. She bolted to the bushes, nearly falling several times, and vomited. The sound of her dry heaves made Gray's stomach twinge in sympathy pain, and he walked over to pat her back comfortingly. After a few moments, Gray decided that holding her hair back was a better way to be of any use. It was a weird, if not incredibly inconvenient, time to take notice of the way Juvia's hair felt. Like, she was seriously hurling the contents of her dinner into the shrubbery, and Gray was standing there like an idiot wondering if he could find another opportunity to twine his fingers in her hair. _Idiot_ , Gray thought, shaking himself out of his daze as Juvia wiped an arm across her mouth and righted herself. He let go of her hair, letting it slide through the gaps between his fingers. _God, I'm an idiot._

Juvia looked up at him, her eyes big and dark and utterly helpless. Gray internally kicked himself for getting caught up in the way her hair felt when she needed him to make sure she was alright. But he couldn't stop himself from trailing his eyes over the length of her body. His gaze snagged over the dip in her collarbone, the curve of her waist, the slope of her thighs. She was standing right in front of him with sweaty skin and smudged eye makeup and probably the worst breath Gray had ever smelled, and he still wanted her.

He so desperately wanted to touch her. Not like in the way that the secret, shameful parts of his mind yearned for and projected into forbidden dreams that kept him up at night. No, it was far more innocent than that- far more dangerous. He just… He just wanted to reassure himself. To convince himself that she was _real._ To feel the warmth of her palm beneath his fingertips and let the tingling that sent his nerve endings in a frenzy ricochet throughout his body. Usually the thought of touching her riled him up, but now it felt like the only thing that might calm him down. Gods only knew that lately half of Gray's thoughts were consumed with the terribly wonderful fantasy of holding Juvia Lockser's hand.

"Gray-sama?"

Juvia looked up at him with confused eyes, and Gray looked away. Juvia was very disoriented and very drunk and now was probably the worst time to get caught up in how damned gorgeous she was.

"I'm gonna walk you home."

His voice left no room for refutation, and Juvia simply nodded. It was only after Juvia staggered a few steps that Gray realized she might not be in the condition to walk anywhere.

"Juvia? Can you walk?"

"Juvia's fine, she-"

"Hop on."

Gray looked over his shoulder to see Juvia blushing at him crouched in front of her. She stepped forward and put her legs on either side of him, leaning down to gingerly wrap her arms around his neck. Gray hooked his hands under her knees and stood up, smothering a grin at the little sound of surprise she made. Juvia wrapped her arms tighter around his neck, and Gray distantly wondered if any of his friends would call him soft for giving a drunk girl a piggy back ride home. He found that he couldn't really bring himself to care.

"Juvia's so tired," Juvia mumbled. "She wants to lay in bed and sleep."

"After the night you've had, I'm pretty sure you deserve whatever your heart desires."

"Anything," Juvia asked, clenching Gray's shirt in her fists. "Really?"

"Uh," Gray said ineloquently. "Sure, I guess. Yeah, anything you want. Go crazy."

"Juvia just wants Gray-sama to think of her all the time," she murmured longingly, sighing into his neck. "Because Gray-sama is all Juvia ever thinks of."

Gray flushed, glad for the first time that night that Juvia was far from sober. Intoxication made her slow and sleepy, too tired to demand any response to her confession. Which was good. The warmth of her body and the honey-sweetness of her voice would've forced something entirely too sappy and sentimental from his mouth.

She continued to mumble drunken murmurs into his neck the entire walk to her house, but Gray couldn't decipher the rest of it. The intimacy of her breath against his skin still brought color to his cheeks, though. And damn if that night wouldn't be burnt in his mind like bright spots imprinted on the back of his eyelids from staring at the sun too long.

* * *

 **A lot of people were hoping for some sweet, sweet Nalu loving. Sorry to disappoint, but I feel like I've been neglecting other characters as of late. And I have something big planned for Gruvia in the future, so I couldn't very well neglect them! Don't worry though. I have a feeling my die-hard Nalu readers will** **definitely... _appreciate_ the next chapter. MWA HA HA HA.**

 **~Mya**


	20. Pheromones

**A/N: Hey guys! I'm sorry for posting this a day late. Life has been SUPER crazy lately. Everyone has been super understanding about it, though. You all are awesome. Yet again, a huge thank you to all of my lovely reviewers. You make the world spin round.**

 **Hopefully this chapter satiates some of you guys' NaLu hunger. Be warned...**

* * *

So, Natsu had been right. After pulling Lucy to the dance floor and grinding her into a frenzy, her mind had been sufficiently blown. He'd grinned down at her with that cocky smirk of his, and Lucy knew that _he_ knew what he was doing to her insides. The whole ordeal had sent electricity coursing through her body and fizzling at her nerve endings. She was _excited_. Excited not only because of how good Natsu was with his hips, but also because of what his flirtatious demeanor implied. The night had ended with Natsu walking her back home, arm thrown around her shoulder as she leaned into his side. When they arrived at her apartment, Natsu arched a brow and flashed Lucy a grin.

"You hungry?" He asked, already leaning in. Lucy's breath caught.

"A little," she murmured.

That was all it took. Lucy expected the kiss to be fierce and explosive like their kisses usually were, but this one was different. Languorous and heated and building. Natsu took his time as he sucked on the swell of her lower lip, and the way he kissed her then was almost lazy. _Almost._ The steady pressure of Natsu's hands on her hips and the scorching brushes of his tongue let Lucy know that this kiss was definitely not halfhearted. When he pulled away, Lucy opened her eyes and saw _stars_. She felt Natsu's smugness through the bond.

" _Damn,_ I'm a good kisser," he smirked, his ever present grin growing wider at the blush that dusted Lucy's cheeks. She rolled her eyes.

"Says your mountainous ego," Lucy scoffed.

"The Bond doesn't lie. I totally rocked your world," he grinned. Lucy laughed, shoving him away.

"Good night, Natsu."

"Good night, Luce."

Before Lucy could pull away, Natsu leaned in again. She closed her eyes eagerly, bracing herself for another kiss. Natsu surprised her by darting to press his lips against her cheek, the brush of his mouth soft and lingering. Lucy's legs went wobbly as Natsu pulled away, her face burning from the exchange. Natsu flashed her another smile before heading down the hall, and Lucy dazedly leaned against her door as she watched him go.

It figures that out of all the kisses they'd exchanged, it was a peck to the cheek that turned her knees to jelly.

Lucy's weekend flew by in a flurry of giddiness and butterflies. By Monday morning, she was practically bursting with her desire to see her favorite crooked smile. Had it really only been a couple days since she'd last seen it? It felt like an eternity. Her heart decided to beat a hundred miles an hour when she rounded a hallway corner and saw a familiar mop of pink hair waiting near her locker. Lucy's pulse rang out in her chest, erupting into a symphony of yearning that sounded an awfully lot like his name.

As if sensing her (which he probably did), Natsu's head jerked up. His gaze met hers, and for a moment time stood still. But when Lucy got closer, it was clear that something had gone very wrong. Natsu's nose twitched, and he suddenly backed away with enough force for his back to ram into the lockers behind him. Lucy gaped at him as he made a hasty retreat, sensing his panic through the _Cupla_.

"Natsu," she called, rushing forward. "What's wrong?"

"I, uh, forgot an assignment," he called back. "Don't worry about it! I'll see you later!"

Natsu dashed away, and Lucy was left standing alone and confused in the hallway. She could still feel Natsu's distress through their link, and something told her that his sudden exit was entirely her fault. Lucy frowned and trudged over to her locker, yanking it open with unnecessary force as frustration welled up in her chest. She'd been so _excited_ to see him that morning. And he'd literally ran away from her.

Lucy felt a chill crawl up her spine, and she stiffened. It was that sixth sense of hers that signaled that her Lilith was nearby. Lucy glanced down the hall, expecting to see Minerva striding her way with that typically Minerva-esque arrogance that made all the boys turn their heads. Lucy's brows furrowed upon seeing a poor imitation of Minerva ambling down the corridor. Her sleek black hair was a mess, and her makeup-free face revealed dark circles as deep as plums. There was no sex appeal in her outfit now, slacks instead of a flirty skirt and her shirt buttoned all the way up. Her footsteps didn't even click against the tile floor, only squeaking with every step as Lucy took notice of the worn sneakers that replaced Minerva's signature stilettos. But the most alarming aspect of Minerva's appearance was her eyes. They were glassy and sleep-deprived and rimmed in crimson. She'd been crying. A lot, from the looks of it.

Lucy reached a hand out as Minerva passed, pulling her to a stop. Minerva gave a withering glare that held none of its typically fearsome hostility. Out of everything Lucy had seen, this worried her the most. Lucy hastily shut her locker and pulled Minerva to a nearby alcove, concern eating at her.

"What's wrong," Lucy fretted. "Are you sick? Oh my God, is it cancer? Are you dying? What-"

"Jesus," Minerva hissed, pulling Lucy's hand from her arm. "I look like shit for the first time in my life and you assume that I'm terminally ill?"

"You aren't?" Lucy asked, biting her lip. "That's good, I guess. Then what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Minerva scowled, crossing her arms. "I'm fucking peachy."

"Minerva," Lucy warned, mirroring her posture. "Something happened."

"Wow, Sherlock. You've cracked the case," Minerva quipped, moving to leave.

"Look," Lucy bit out, voice commanding. "You can either give me a quick rundown right now, or I can dig up all the gory details on my own."

Minerva grimaced.

"You wouldn't."

"Try me."

There was silence for a moment. Lucy's head started hurt, and she felt a pain flare up in her pointer finger. A little voice told her to back off and stay on Minerva's good side. Lucy knew that she was upsetting her Lilith- her alpha, in a sense. But she really didn't care. She's spent the past several months in this new, confusing world, and she was tired of never knowing what was going on. After a bit of deliberation, Minerva caved. But only a little.

"I have to find a new meal ticket," Minerva murmured, voice wavering and so not Minerva. "It's unimportant. The whole ordeal is just very-"

Minerva's voice cracked.

" _Inconvenient_ ," Minerva finally managed to mutter. She sounded close to tears. Lucy's eyes widened at the unprecedented display of emotion. Minerva feeling… _sad?_ Minerva _crying_? What was the world coming to?

"So you and Sting broke up," Lucy finally managed, trying to put a sympathetic hand on Minerva's shoulder. Minerva brusquely shook her off, wiping at her eyes and scowling.

"There was never a 'Me and Sting'. Get that through your hopelessly romantic skull."

Minerva backed away, heading to class. Before she was completely out of range, she turned back to Lucy.

"And put a lid on those goddamned pheromones," Minerva called. "You reek!"

She turned away before Lucy could ask anymore questions, feigning her trademark grace with the stiff set of her shoulders and a tilt of her jaw. Lucy was left feeling just as confused as before, albeit about something else now.

" _Pheromones?_ "

 **XOXOXOXOX**

Natsu was going mental. He'd been avoiding Lucy, a.k.a. his best friend ( _a.k.a. his lady love_ ), since Monday morning. All because of the way she _smelled_. Not that she smelled bad. At all. The problem was quite the opposite, as a matter of fact. Lucy smelled great. Amazing, really. _Good enough to eat…_

Her scent wasn't that different from normal, really. He could still tell it belonged to her. Honey, coffee, roses. But now the fragrance was dipped in the smell of chocolate and _sex_ , and it was more potent than anything Natsu had ever encountered. The first time he caught wind of it, his body had immediately… reacted. He avoided her with a tactless blatancy that he knew hurt her feelings. But he figured she'd be a lot worse off if he didn't get as far away as possible. She'd probably end up being forced on the ground with her legs thrown over his shoulders and-

For the hundredth time in three days, Natsu mentally punched himself. He was supposed to be solving equations for Combat Physics, not wondering what it would feel like to have her plush thighs squeezing either side of his head. His musings were silly, really, because he knew it'd definitely feel awesome. Every inch of her body probably felt awesome. No, the question that was really burning in his mind was what she would _taste_ like. He'd tasted her mouth before (and _really_ liked it), but Natsu had never known the way other parts of a girl's body tasted. He almost salivated at the thought. Her writhing and moaning as he sunk his tongue into her and-

Oh, shit. _holyfuckingshit. Go away, go away, go away. Boner be gone!_

Natsu shifted uncomfortably in his seat, attempting to hunch over and cover his crotch with the hem of his shirt. He was in the middle of class and pitching a massive tent. The more he tried to will away his fantasies of Lucy's naked, delicious body, the more vivid they became. It was like someone telling you not to think about a fucking purple polka dot elephant. _I wasn't thinking about the god damned elephant until you told me not to._ Except Natsu _had_ been thinking about the elephant. He'd been thinking about that particular elephant since he and Lucy had run home in the rain and Natsu had discovered the magical see through properties that white fabric had when wet. And now the entire class was staring at him and _what the hell._

"Mr. Dragneel," Professor Wakaba called, looking perplexed.

"Uh, yeah?"

"I asked you to come to the front board and show the class how to solve this equation."

It took Natsu's brain less than a millisecond to compute that standing up = showing the entire class his raging hard on. _Nope. No way in hell. Fuck._ _ **That**_ _._ He was shaking his head almost immediately.

"I can't solve that," he lied. "Sorry."

"You did it correctly on the test," Wakaba frowned. "There were only two people in the entire class that did."

"It must've been a fluke," Natsu laughed uncomfortably, eyes darting around the room.

When his gaze met Gray's from a couple rows away, he could see the confusion written all over his roommate's face. Natsu mouthed a panicked " _HELP_ " only to be met with a look of even greater confusion. Natsu discreetly held his clenched fist near his jaw and slowly raised his index finger, mouthing " _Boner_ ". A flash of understanding reached Gray's eyes, which darted down to look at Natsu's lap. His mouth dropped when he saw that Natsu did in fact have a boner. And then the motherfucker _lost his shit_.

The class all stared at Gray in utter confusion as he began to laugh so hard that he nearly fell out of his seat. Natsu sank deeper into his chair, crossing his arms and muttering about getting better friends. His face burned, and he could feel the white hot coals of embarrassment warming his ears and the back of his neck. Wakaba just darted his gaze between the two boys, looking completely lost.

"What's so funny," he asked, crossing his arms.

"Nothing," Gray choked out, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. "Natsu's just an idiot."

"Watch it," Natsu growled, knowing that his beet red face probably made him less than intimidating.

"I'll solve that equation," Gray said, ignoring Natsu's warning and getting up from his seat. "Dragneel isn't the only one that got that question right. And he seems to be having an awfully _hard_ time today."

 **XOXOXOXOX**

Lucy was getting super tired of this avoidance shit. Every time she walked into a room, Natsu fled from it. He didn't even sit next to her in their shared classes anymore, but he texted her every night like nothing was wrong. It was confusing and exhausting. That combined with the random bouts of arousal she felt through their _Cupla_ was enough to make Lucy's head spin. By lunch on Thursday, she was fed up.

Lucy walked into the cafeteria like she owned the place, feeling eyes all over the room on her. People had been paying even more attention to her than usual lately. Guys were persistent and flirtatious, and girls watched her with wary eyes. Minerva had said that it was the pheromones' fault when Lucy had mentioned. This was the only thing Minerva had said to Lucy before getting annoyed and commanding Lucy to not speak to her for the rest of the week. Lucy gave up more easily than usual, respecting that Minerva was in a pretty fragile emotional state at the moment, even if she refused to show it.

Natsu jolted from his seat when Lucy got close enough, hastily gathering his food and preparing to leave. This was _not_ gonna fly this time. Lucy rushed to block him as he tried to leave the table, giving him her toughest scowl.

"Where are you going," she asked, blocking the path to his exit. He backed up against the table, clearly not wanting to get too close.

"I forgot about a project-"

"Bullshit," Lucy interrupted. "You're avoiding me."

All of their friends, as well as half the cafeteria, were watching them at this point. Lucy couldn't bring herself to care.

"Don't be stupid," Natsu teased, giving Lucy a strained version of his usual smile. "Why would I be avoiding you?"

"I don't know," Lucy retorted. "That's what I want to find out."

"You're being crazy," Natsu huffed, quickly getting annoyed. "Seriously, Lucy. Let me pass. We can talk later."

"We're going to talk _now_ ," Lucy insisted, stepping closer and invading his personal space. Natsu growled at her.

"There's nothing to say," he bit out, throwing his food back on the table behind them. "Drop it, Lucy."

"Or _what_?"

Her tone was haughty and confrontational, and she moved close enough for their chests to press together. Natsu's nostrils flared, and a twitch of his hand was the only warning she received before she was suddenly pressed against the lunch table with Natsu surrounding her on all sides. Her heart skipped a beat before going out of control and the room blurred at the edges. He'd moved so _fast_.

Lucy looked up to see that Natsu's eyes had become incredibly dilated. Just a sliver of iris peeked out next to his enlarged pupils. It was the look of an animal that had caught its prey. It was wild and bestial and inherently not Natsu, but Lucy couldn't bring herself to worry. It _excited_ her. She felt an ache in her gut telling her to feed- to bite, taste, consume, _devour_. Hunger pulsed in her veins like a heartbeat. She felt a similar want, a similar _need_ , through The Bond. But this time, she didn't need any special link to tell her exactly was he was feeling.

He was looking at her like she was an all-you-can-eat buffet and he was _ravenous_.

Natsu angled her jaw up with his hand and leaned in to trace sharp incisors along her pulse. Had his teeth always been like that? Had his breath always been so wet and hot and shiver-inducing on her skin?

"Natsu," Lucy gasped, clenching her eyes shut. "What are you doing?"

Natsu pulled away abruptly, and Lucy opened her eyes to see that he was himself again. The color had drained from his face, and he took a hasty step back. Natsu scooped up his bag as he tried to wipe the look of horror from his face. Lucy stared after him, completely disoriented from their exchange.

"Natsu?"

"I've gotta go."

He dashed out of the cafeteria then, receiving a chorus of shouts and catcalls in his wake. Lucy's face burned when she realized that their little spat hadn't been private. At all. She looked over to see their friends staring at her, expressions filled with shock and amusement. Mira tittered, covering her hand with her mouth.

"Such _passion_."

Lucy spent the rest of lunch resisting the urge to crawl beneath a lunch table and die of embarrassment.

She ignored the whispers and murmurs throughout the rest of the school day. She'd been asked to clarify whether she and Natsu were going to rip each other's throats out or rip each other's clothes off too many times to count. Lucy was a mess of anxiety and nervousness by the time the final bell rang. She waited by the school doors for Natsu, but after thirty minutes of watching students and teachers pass through she still hadn't seen him. Worry started to eat at her before she decided to check the class rooms.

She found him in Macao's class with his head pressed to a desk, leg bouncing with nervous energy. The teacher had already left, and the room was otherwise empty. Lucy hesitantly walked in, closing the door behind her. Natsu sat up after hearing the click of the latch.

"Don't," he said, getting up from his seat. "We shouldn't be alone together in a confined space right now."

"Why," Lucy asked, hurt and confused. "What's going on? Did I do something?"

"No," Natsu groaned. "Well, maybe. I don't know."

"Tell me what's going on," Lucy insisted, walking closer. Natsu evaded her, going to stand over by Macao's desk. He was frowning, glaring at the floor like it had wronged him. Finally, he spoke.

"It's the way you smell," he said, biting his lip. "I- I can't handle it. There's some sort of instinct pulling at me, and I'm having a hard time controlling myself."

Lucy's brow furrowed. _That's_ why he was acting so weird? _It's the way you smell._ Realization flooded her.

"You mean the pheromones?"

"The what?"

"The pheromones," Lucy repeated. "Minerva told me that I was putting off some kind of special scent because of my succubus breeding cycle. She says it only happens once a year. Do you think that's it?"

"Probably. Whatever it is, it's driving me crazy," Natsu sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. Lucy's stomach clenched.

"I don't know why it's affecting you so strongly," Lucy murmured, moving a little closer. "It doesn't really seem to be bothering anyone else this much."

"My sense of smell is better than most people's," Natsu muttered.

"So this smell, it…"

"It makes me wanna bend you over that desk," Natsu finished gruffly.

Aaaaaand Lucy's lungs officially stopped working. Natsu flinched.

"Sorry," he groaned. "I'm not really myself right now. You should probably leave."

"No," Lucy insisted, stepping closer. "I'm not going anywhere. Now that I know what's wrong we can-"

"Look," Natsu huffed, rubbing the back of his neck. "You're my best friend in the entire world, Luce, and I wanna respect your boundaries. But that's gonna be damned near impossible if you keep sticking around me. As much as I hate it, you've gotta leave me alone before I do something bad."

And just like that, all of her anxiety from the past few days fled her. A rush of warmth flooded Lucy's body, melting her heart. Only Natsu had ever shown such concern over her wellbeing. Only Natsu had ever caused himself so much distress and discomfort for her sake. His words not only made Lucy feel respected, but they also made her feel cherished. Like she was some precious gift that Natsu didn't want to tear apart with greedy, lustful hands. The sentiment made _her_ greedy and lustful. It made her want to wrap herself up in his arms and never let go.

Lucy closed the distance between them before she was even fully aware of what she was doing.

She pressed her lips to his. Sweetly. Gently. It made her feel warm and fuzzy inside, love and adoration bubbling in her chest. The kiss was chaste, but no less fulfilling than the passionate kisses they'd exchanged in the past. It wasn't soul-scorching or mind blowing, but it felt just as intimate. If not more so. When she pulled back, he gaped at her.

"Wha-Were you hungry again?"

"No," she murmured honestly. "I just wanted to kiss you."

A few moments of tense silence passed, and Lucy wondered if she'd crossed some sort of line. _He doesn't like you like that_ , a little voice reminded her. _He only wants you right now because of your stupid pheromones._ God, had she just screwed up again? She opened her mouth to say something- to apologize or take it back. But Natsu's eyes suddenly darkened. Lucy's stomach clenched.

He took a step forward, and she took a step back. He was staring at her with those _eyes_ \- the same ones she'd seen when she bandaged his hands in her bathroom all those weeks before. The eyes that turned her knees to jelly and made her breathing shallow. It made her feel like prey, but if Natsu was the predator she certainly didn't mind it.

Lucy felt her back graze the teacher's desk. Her pulse thudded in her ears as he continued to close in on her. Natsu got close enough for Lucy to feel his heartbeat, chest pressed against hers. He was burning up, and she was burning with him.

"Natsu," Lucy murmured, his nose brushing hers. "What are you doing?"

"I'm gonna make you forget your name," he rumbled, voice deeper and rougher than she'd ever heard it before.

" _Oh_ ," she gasped. "Okay."

His mouth descended upon hers with a ferocity she'd never known before. It made her feel lightheaded. It'd always been Natsu that'd felt dizzy after she fed. Once he'd even said that the room was spinning. It was surreal for Lucy to feel so faint with his mouth on her. The feeling was in direct contrast to the burst of energy she usually received, but she found that she liked it just as much.

Before, when Natsu kissed her, time seemed to screech to a halt. But now, everything was _spinning_. The slow burn between them had sparked and combusted into some incredibly potent form of electricity. It was like kissing a live wire, and Lucy wondered if her heart would give out from all of the unspeakable things Natsu was doing to it.

Natsu's hands inched up beneath her blouse and gripped her waist, scorching the skin there. She gasped around his mouth at the feeling. Had her skin always been so unbearably sensitive? Somewhere in the back of her mind, Lucy knew that these sensations were probably heightened by the _Cupla_. Everything he was feeling flooded back to her, increasing her sensitivity tenfold. And _Gods_ , it felt good.

He backed her up against the desk, pressing himself tight against her. She hopped up on it, sitting on the edge and opening her legs for him to stand between them. Natsu growled at the gesture and fit his hips between her thighs like they belonged there. Like he was always supposed to be curved into her, surrounding her. The thought made something warm and wanting pool in Lucy's stomach. She gripped Natsu's tie and pulled him even closer.

His hands slid down to her thighs and then back up until his fingertips danced just under the hem of her skirt. He was still kissing her furiously enough to make her wonder if his fire magic was really under control. Beneath his hands and lips, Lucy's body felt like it was _burning_. It was all she could to do bite back an embarrassing moan when his hands finally slid up her skirt, his thumbs tracing mind-numbing circles into the skin of her inner thigh. Natsu made a noise against her mouth.

"God, Luce," he sighed. "I can feel you through the Bond. Do you really like it that much when I touch you?"

"I always like it when you touch me," Lucy whined, face flushing. "Couldn't you tell before?"

"I thought it was just me," Natsu whispered. "All this time I thought it was just me."

The admission made her stomach flip. Lucy reached up and angled his face so she could trace her lips along his jaw. Her tongue flicked his ear, and she made a confession of her own.

"I only feel this way when I'm with you," she whispered, feeling Natsu grip her thighs with enough force to bruise in response. She liked it. A lot.

"I want you," he groaned. "I wanna taste you."

"Please," Lucy gasped, shivering as he licked down the column of her throat. "I need you."

Natsu's mouth was suddenly back on hers, and his hands moved even further up her thighs. Lucy gasped when his fingers trailed along the elastic waistband of her underwear, slowly skimming down until they were dancing along the apex of her thighs. She pulled away from his mouth and whimpered, gripping his biceps tight enough to make her fingers numb. Natsu gave her a questioning look, eyes filled with so much heat that it made her head spin. Despite his lust, Lucy felt a hint of his uncertainty as he tentatively brushed his thumb against such an intimate place. Lucy whined and gave a frantic nod of her head, hoping he could feel how much she wanted this through the _Cupla_ so she wouldn't have to put it into words. From the look of the cocky grin he gave her, he did.

Natsu pushed her panties aside and rubbed his fingers against her, the warmth of his calloused fingers sending fire everywhere he touched. Lucy dug her fingers into his biceps and clenched her eyes shut, quickly unraveling. Her lips trailed along his neck, stalling when the pleasure started to build. She gasped when he finally sank a slick finger into her, pleasure doubling when a second finger quickly joined it. He tried a variety of slow, stroking movements before experimentally curling his fingers in a way that made her see stars. Lucy whimpered, everything in the room blurring.

Before Lucy really knew what she was doing, she sunk her teeth into Natsu's neck. His skin was warm and salty with perspiration, and he tasted like the color red. Natsu groaned, and some of Lucy's sense returned to her. She gently pulled away, gasping at the little bit of blood that trickled from his neck. She looked up, preparing to apologize, but the only thing she saw in Natsu's eyes was lust. He pressed his mouth to hers, and Lucy moaned. His fingers moved just right, and she felt herself clench around them in response.

" _Fuck_ ," he hissed, sliding his finger out of her.

Lucy whined at the loss as she watched him pull away. He stared at the wetness coating his digits for a moment before bringing them to his mouth. Lucy sucked in a breath when his tongue darted out to slide leisurely along his fingers. He sucked at the slick moisture, and heat flared up in Lucy's face when he actually _groaned_ at the way she tasted. She shifted her thighs restlessly.

" _Natsu_ ," she hissed.

He could hear the need in her voice, and the predatory glint in his eyes sent another wave of heat flooding her body. He brought her hips to the very edge of the desk and crouched down, eyes level with her pelvis. He spread her legs wider, and Lucy flushed at the exposure of the position. She would've pulled away in embarrassment if Natsu hadn't looked so damned reverent in that moment. He trailed his fingers up her thigh and brushed the lace that covered the more private parts of her anatomy.

"Can I take these off," he asked, voice full of a barely contained desperation.

" _Yes._ "

He slowly dragged her panties down her legs, every ounce of his attention wrapped up in her. Starting at her knee, he slid his mouth up her inner thigh. Licking, sucking, biting. Lucy was shaking by the time he was where she wanted him.

"I've been thinking about doing this for days," he admitted. His quiet tone and the way he knelt before her almost made it seem like he was a sinner at confession. Her knees would've given out had she been standing.

Natsu's mouth was on her before she could muster any sort of coherent response. His tongue slid along her sex, and the vibrations from his groan of pleasure made her thighs jerk. When one of his slow, methodical licks brushed her clit, Lucy made a ragged noise that she'd never thought herself capable of making. Feeling the sensation through their link, Natsu hummed.

He sank his fingers into her again, sliding his tongue against her clit as he curled them. The heat in her body doubled, and Lucy's legs began to quiver. It didn't take long for him to build her up, his dexterous hands finding the right buttons to press and places to stroke as he gauged her reactions through the _Cupla_. Lucy tangled her fingers in his hair, arching her back as pleasure jolted through her nervous system.

" _Natsu._ God, I think I'm gonna-"

Lucy gasped, unable to finish her sentence. She climaxed with a long, throaty moan. Natsu felt her pleasure vicariously, hissing as her orgasm warmed his bones. She was still trembling when he stood and tilted her head, exposing her neck. He gave no warning before sinking his teeth into her. Lucy back arched, and the bite of pain only increased her pleasure. Natsu ran his tongue along the wound after releasing her, soothing the skin there.

He pulled back, and Lucy still saw the need in his eyes. And despite her orgasm, hers hadn't been abated either. She still burned for him. Natsu leaned in for another kiss, and she hastily returned it, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Do you want me, Luce?" He asked, lips brushing hers. She whined.

" _Yes_ ," she breathed. " _Always_."

Natsu pulled away and started wrestling with his belt, and a jolt of excitement made Lucy's stomach clench. He was still looking at her with those eyes that turned her brain to mush, and she still needed him closer. Desperately. Natsu finally got his belt undone, and the sound of his zipper sliding down made goosebumps rise on Lucy's arms. His eyes never left hers. Lucy spread her legs a little wider, inviting him to come closer.

 _Yes_. After all these months, it was finally happening. Were those angels singing in the distance? It sure as hell sounded like it. Lucy closed her eyes and focused on how _right_ the warmth of his body felt. She wanted this so badly and-

Lucy's heart stopped when the classroom door flew open.

"Hey, Macao, do you know where my- _What the fuck?_ "

* * *

 **Forgive me Father, for I have siNNED. GONNA GO READ A BIBLE BYE.**


	21. Enthralled

**A/N: Hey guys! I'm seriously not even going to make any excuses. I've been slacking off. Granted, I was working my ass off this summer and moved into my dorms on Thursday, but I wish I would've gotten this chapter to you sooner. I would've uploaded this chapter yesterday, but I had troubles getting my campus's wifi password, so that kinda made things impossible.**

 **Anyways, I really hope you guys enjoy this week's chapter. I love you all for being so patient and supportive during this hiatus. I love writing dearly, but my education is #1 for me right now. And an overwhelming amount of never standing and support from you all is the only reason why I didn't abandon this fic when things got hard. I apologize for not getting back to any of my private messages, but I PROMISE that I read every single word of support that you all sent me. If you have any questions that are still left unanswered by this author's note/chapter, feel free to PM and I will try my best to get back with you within 24 hours.**

 **I'm going to try to return to my old schedule of updating, which made the 1st and the 15th of every month my chapter release days. Thank you again, my Darlings (I'm calling you that now, BTW). You mean the world to me. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

Natsu had made many mistakes in his lifetime. Usually these mistakes were things that he could easily laugh off and fix with a sheepish smile. Examples include:

-Setting things on fire

-Eating someone else's share of food

-Making poorly timed jokes

-Destroying things

-Generally being a dumbfuck

This, however, was not one of said mistakes. This mistake was monumental. Disastrous. Catastrophic. Because he'd officially made a mess of Lucy Heartfilia (A.K.A. Goddess. A.K.A. The crush that he'd thought he never stood a chance with until an hour ago) on school property. And he didn't even bother to lock. The. Fucking. Door.

And now his roommate, who has the sexual experience of a rock, is gaping at them from the doorway. Natsu can't even sputter a "It's not what it looks like!" because it's exactly what it looks like. Natsu's pants were undone, Lucy's panties were still dangling from her ankle, and they were both flushed and panting enough to leave no doubt what they'd been up to mere moments ago. Despite the fact that it was a horrible time, Natsu's eyes drifted back to Lucy. She was completely disheveled, her chest heaving and her skirt riding up high on her thighs. Even her hair was a mess, which made something in Natsu's stomach twist and knot into heated coils of need. And her smell. Instinctively, he moved to shield Lucy's body from Gray's disbelieving eyes.

"You ever heard of knocking a fucking door," Natsu growls, breaking the tense silence. Gray gapes at him.

"Are you serious? Why would I need to knock a classroom door, you fuckwit?"

"Everyone knows that people close doors for a reason-"

"Everyone also knows that you're not supposed to have sex in classrooms-"

"Just because you'll die a virgin doesn't mean-"

"Enough!"

The room fell silent. Natsu looked down to see Lucy darting a glare between the two of them. She looked half-mortified and half-annoyed, which he supposed wasn't the worst thing given the circumstances. Lucy tucked a lock of golden hair behind her ear before speaking, which wasn't exactly doing wonders for Natsu's focus. He really just wanted to run his own fingers through it…

"Natsu, focus," Lucy murmured, pink dusting her cheeks. Natsu nodded and cleared his throat, casting his eyes downward.

"How about all three of us put our clothes back on, calmly leave the classroom, and pretend that this super embarrassing thing never happened?" Lucy suggested, voice reasonable.

"Put our clothes back on," Gray groused. "You guys are the only ones who-"

Gray cursed when he looked down to see his shirt and blazer in a puddle of fabric at his feet. Natsu gave Lucy some space and shielded her from sight while she shimmied her underwear back on. He adjusted his pants and looked over his shoulder to see Lucy combing fingers through her mussed hair. She flushed when he caught her eye, and Natsu quickly glanced away.

"Natsu," Lucy murmured, hesitant hands touching his arm. Natsu's heart clenched.

"What's up?"

"Your tie. I messed it up."

"Oh," he muttered. "I suck at tying them anyways."

"Here, let me."

Lucy gently pushed at his shoulders until he was facing her, undoing his tie and popping the collar of his shirt before attempting to redo the Windsor knot. Natsu had to repress the urge to shiver when her fingertips grazed the back of his neck. He was still unbelievably turned on, and it was a struggle to keep his arousal from leaking through the Bond. He could only see the top of Lucy's head when he looked down at her, which made things minutely easier.

"Where'd you learn to do this," Natsu asked, trying to distract himself with conversation.

"I used to watch my mom fix my father's tie before he went to work every morning. And when she got so sick she couldn't get out of bed, she taught me how to do it," Lucy murmured. "I guess she wanted me to take her place after she was gone."

"Did you?"

"Never got the chance," she sighed, finishing the knot and flipping Natsu's collar back down. "My father was already out of the door before I'd even wake up. He really threw himself into his work after she died."

"Sorry," Natsu muttered, feeling guilty for prying.

"Don't be," Lucy said brightly. "That was the past. I'm not lonely anymore."

She slid her hands along Natsu's shoulders to smooth the wrinkles in his shirt, and the room heated up by several degrees. Their eyes met, and they quickly looked away.

"Jesus fuck," Gray interrupted. "Can we please just hit pause on the sexual tension and get out of here?"

Lucy squeaked and pulled away, and Natsu glared at Gray over her head.

"Why are you even here, blue balls," Natsu growled. Gray snarled back.

"I left my phone in here, you horny piece of shit."

"You guys," Lucy interjected. "Do you hear that?"

They paused and listened, hearing the echo of footsteps down the hall. Natsu cursed and ushered them into the corner of the room away from the door. Students weren't supposed to be at the school past four without a club activites pass. Which they definitely didn't have. While the three of them waited for the person outside to pass, The Fuckwad™ decided to strike up a conversation.

"So," Gray drawled. "Nothing screams comfort like hard wooden desks and a stapler digging into your lower back, huh, Lucy? Is Natsu always this romantic?"

"Shut the fuck up," Natsu hissed, ears burning. "It's none of your business."

"I'm just saying you guys could've picked a better place to finally give in to your passion-"

"There wasn't any passion," Natsu lied, voice vehement. "I was just feeding her, so stop."

There was a deadly calm in the classroom that stretched on for a few moments before Natsu realized his mistake. Slowly, he turned to Lucy and flinched that the rage that burned on her face.

"Just. Feeding. Me?" she hissed, pinning Natsu with an icy stare.

"Luce, I didn't-"

"No, it's fine," she growled, voice letting him know that it was totally not fine. "It's good to know that it didn't mean anything."

She stalked over to the door while Natsu sat there, dumbfounded. Because how could what happened not have meant anything? Especially when he could still taste her on his tongue and feel the phantom warmth of her on his fingers? Before Gray had interrupted, Lucy had Natsu almost completely under some sort of spell. Enthralled. Everything had finally been going right, but he managed to fuck it up with a few words.

"Lucy, I-"

"What the hell?"

For once, her words didn't seem to be directed at Natsu. He watched her frown and jiggle the door handle with increasing force to no avail. Natsu furrowed his brows and moved to help her, huffing when the door refused to budge.

"It's locked," Natsu groused, kicking the door. Lucy yanked on his arm.

"You can't break the door," she hissed. Natsu raised a brow.

"I'm sure I can."

"Don't break the door," Lucy groaned, swiping her palms over her face. "I meant don't break the door."

"I mean, I could also punch through the wall-"

"I can't believe I'm locked in a room with you two idiots," Gray groaned.

"I don't see you coming up with any bright ideas," Natsu bit out.

"One of you guys should just call someone," Gray suggested, looking ready to bash his head into the wall. "Duh."

"Lucy made me leave my phone at home," Natsu shrugged.

"He kept playing Pokemon Go in class," Lucy defended, pulling out her phone only to find a flashing symbol on her screen.

"My battery is dead," she muttered, scowling.

Gray sighed before getting up to dig his phone out of his desk before turning to Natsu and Lucy.

"I don't know who the fuck I'm gonna call. My dad's still at work, and no one would break into school and risk a detention just to bust our sorry asses outta here."

"No one?" Lucy drawled, tone devious. Natsu grinned when he caught her drift. Gray suddenly stiffened.

"No."

"Gray."

"Uh-uh."

"Ice bastard."

"No. Fucking. Way."

 **XOXOXOXOX**

Surprisingly enough, this wasn't the first time Juvia had broken into a school. She'd get into the details, but her middle school years were something she didn't really care to look back on. Still, when Gray called needing her help, she didn't even think twice before reacting. Within twenty minutes she was crawling through a tiny window on the third floor (she'd had to climb a tree to get to it, but that was of no importance). She tiptoed down stairwells and through hallways before arriving at her destination.

"Gray-sama," Juvia hissed, pressing an ear to the door. "Gray-sama?"

"Juvia," a feminine voice whispered back from behind the door. "We're in here!"

"Love Rival?" Juvia hissed, alarmed, and began picking the lock more swiftly than she'd thought herself capable. "What are you doing alone with Juvia's Gray-sama?"

A million equally scandalous scenarios flashed in Juvia's mind. Maybe them being stuck in a classroom together has made them finally realize the raw, carnal attraction that'd been lying dormant until they-

"I guarantee that whatever it is you're thinking is way off base," Gray groaned. "Just get us outta here, Juvia."

"Yeah," another masculine voice added. "I've been here with them the whole time, so-"

"Natsu?" Juvia gasped, dropping her hands from the door. "Are you saying that all three of you-"

"No," they all groaned flatly.

"Then did Natsu-san watch-"

"If anything it was popsicle tits that was butting in," Natsu growled. Juvia's jaw dropped.

"So Natsu and Love Rival were-"

"Could we all have this discussion later?" Lucy asked, voice shrill and bordering on desperate. Juvia grumbled and went back to picking the door's lock.

"Juvia breaks into a school out of the goodness of her heart and all she gets is attitude," Juvia grumbled.

After a few more twists of her bobby pin and a jiggle of the handle, the classroom door swung open. Juvia was suddenly wrapped in a bear hug with spine-popping force, and she struggled to breathe around a mouthful of blonde hair. Juvia felt a bit overwhelmed between Lucy's chorus of "thank you"s and Natsu's hearty pats on the back. When they pulled away, Juvia looked over Lucy's shoulder to see Gray standing behind, looking a bit out of place with his hands in his pockets and his eyes shifting restlessly between the lockers and the floor tiles. As Natsu and Lucy pulled away, Gray looked up to meet Juvia's eyes, and the room did that topsy-turvy thing that turned her mind to mush.

"Well," Lucy huffed. "I think I'm ready to go home, curl up on my couch, and rewatch that Quicksilver scene from X-Men Apocalypse on youtube."

"Ooooh," Natsu grinned, wrapping an arm around Lucy's shoulder. "That sounds awesome."

Lucy scowled and ducked under Natsu's arm before storming down the hallway, prompting Natsu to chase after her.

"Come on, Luce!"

Juvia's brows furrowed at the exchange, and she gave Gray a questioning look.

"Don't even ask," Gray sighed, swiping a hand down his face. "I barely even understand what's going on with them half the time."

"Juvia thinks that they should get a room," she grumbled.

"Ha," Gray laughed humorlessly. "They already tried."

Juvia gaped at him.

"You mean they-"

"Yup. Well, almost. I accidentally walked in on them when I was trying to get my phone."

Juvia was trying to formulate some sort of responses to the pure outlandish situation when the rattle of cleaning supplies and the squeak of a rusty wheel alerted them to someone coming around the corner. Gray cursed and grabbed Juvia's hand, sprinting in the opposite direction and dragging her along. Juvia's face heated up by about a million degrees at his touch, and she vaguely wondered how these very hands could chill people to the bone.

Gray pulled her into one of the empty restrooms, and they crouched by the entrance as they waited for the janitor to pass. Gray listened for noises outside while Juvia tried to calm her rapidly beating heart. All she could focus on was the shape of his fingers and how nice his skin felt and-

"Juvia?"

"You're so warm," Juvia stammered. Gray gave her a weird look.

"What?"

"Gray-sama's hands," Juvia corrected, stomach twisting into knots. "Juvia was just surprised that they were so warm."

"Oh," Gray muttered, frowning down at where their hands were entwined. "Cuz I use ice magic, right? Using ice magic doesn't make my skin cold. Just like you being a siren doesn't make you dangerous and seductive."

"Juvia understands," Juvia murmured contemplatively, wondering if Gray not thinking she was very siren-like meant that he didn't find her attractive.

"I think my cold parts are hidden deeper down," Gray smirked, tone sardonic. "You can't really tell by just touching."

And Juvia never really knew what made her so bold in that instant, but she squeezed his hand tighter and whispered, "Maybe Juvia's dangerous and seductive parts are hidden deeper down, too."

Gray kept a straight face and turned away, but Juvia saw the crimson that dusted the tips of his ears and cheekbones. The sight made something warm and molten churn in Juvia's chest. When the noise outside ceased, Gray stood up and pulled Juvia with him. She beamed when she realized that he was making no effort to let go of her hand.

Juvia held Gray's hand tightly in her own as she lead him down the hall, a bounce in her step as they went. Maybe it was Juvia's nearly effervescent happiness that distracted her from her typical caution. Maybe she was just so jubilant that she couldn't hold it inside in that moment. Or maybe it'd been building up for a long time and she could no longer contain it. Whatever the reason, Juvia did something she never would've allowed herself to do:

She sang.

Well, that's not entirely accurate. Juvia didn't sing, so much as hum under her breath. It was just some catchy tune from the radio, but snippets of the song had been playing in her head on repeat before finally leaking out. Juvia was so immersed in her contentment that she didn't even notice Gray's footsteps slow beside her until he pulled her to a stop.

Juvia frowned and turned back to see Gray staring intently at her.

"Gray-sama?"

Juvia could barely process the flurry of movement before Gray's fingers wove through her hair and his lips set a tantalizing rhythm against her own. And then all she could think about was soft and wet and teeth and warm. Gray Fullbuster was kissing her. Gray Fullbuster was kissing her. Gray Fullbuster was kissing her. What kind of Twilight Zone shit was this?

His pace was slow and maddening, sending butterflies fluttering in her stomach. His fingers trailed down her back as he mumbled her name into her mouth, and goosebumps erupted across Juvia's skin. It wasn't until Juvia literally went weak in the knees that Gray broke the kiss to hold her up. She leaned her head against his shoulder and gasped, trying to make the room stop spinning. It wasn't working.

"What," Juvia breathed. "Just happened?"

She didn't get a response. Except another soul-searing kiss and the maddening sensation of Gray's breath against her skin, that is.

Juvia cradled Gray's face in her hands and stopped him from darting down to kiss her neck, narrowing her eyes as she observed his face. Her stomach dropped when she saw the faint glow of his irises as he tried to lean in for another kiss. She pushed him back.

"Gray-sama," Juvia sighed, tone mournful. "Juvia is so sorry. She didn't even realize-"

Juvia put a hand over Gray's mouth, blocking another attempted kiss. Gray groaned in frustration.

"Juvia, let me kiss you," he demanded, words muffled. Juvia shook her head.

"Gray-sama is under a thrall right now," Juvia explained. "It'll wear off soon, Juvia promises."

"I don't care," Gray complained, wrapping his arms around her waist only for Juvia to swat them away. "Juvia."

"If Gray-sama wants to kiss Juvia when his free will is back, he is welcome. But right now, we have to go."

Juvia took Gray's hand and tried to pull him down the hall, only for him to yank her back when he refused to budge.

"Just one," he bargained. "One more and kiss and I'll leave you alone, I promise."

It was almost laughable how unlike himself Gray was acting under her thrall. Juvia sighed.

"Just one. And only if Gray-sama closes his eyes."

Gray nodded eagerly and closed his eyes as Juvia leaned in. He went to press his lips against hers, only for Juvia to dart to the side and kiss his cheek at the last moment. He groaned, but let Juvia drag him down the hall anyways.

"That doesn't even count." he groused.

"Juvia isn't taking advantage of Gray-sama in his current state. She apologizes for using such underhanded tactics."

"Fine," Gray pouted. "I'll just kiss you later, then."

"Sure," Juvia sighed, sad eyes scanning the area for signs of anyone else as they turned a corner. "If Gray-sama still wants to."

"How could I not?" Gray asked incredulously as she pulled him along. "You're beautiful."

"Now Juvia knows that Gray-sama is definitely under a spell," she muttered, cheeks flushing carmine.

"No, really," Gray insisted. "You are. Those pretty eyes and all that soft skin and shiny hair- it drives me crazy. And your body-"

Juvia slapped a hand over his mouth before his words could turn her into a puddle on the floor. Gray tried to shake her off.

"Gray-sama should stop before he says anything he'll regret."

"I just wanna touch you," he whined, reaching out to touch a ringlet of cerulean hair.

"No, you don't," Juvia sighed, turning away.

"Of course I do," Gray rebutted, confused. "I love you."

Juvia froze, limbs turning rigid. Gray misread her response.

"Really, Juvia, I-"

"Don't," she said, voice unusually fragile. "Don't say that."

"Why not?" Gray asked, invading her space yet again. Juvia never thought it'd hurt so much to have him this close.

"Because you don't mean it."

Juvia hurried down the hall, wiping tears from her eyes. Bewitched in more ways than one, Gray trailed after her.

 **XOXOXOXOXOX**

Waking up the next day was hell. It felt like Gray had the worst hangover of his young life, and that was saying a lot considering the insane drinking binge Cana had pressured him into during his sophomore year. Waking up to the persistent chirping of his alarm (which he was pretty much sure was crafted by Satan himself) was absolute hell. Gray groaned and tried slamming his pillow into his side table only for his phone to fall on the floor and rattle the creaky floorboards as the mercilessly cheerful marimba melody continued to blare at top volume. Natsu bellowed from the next room.

"Turn off your goddamned alarm and wake the fuck up, Ice Dick! We have to leave in ten minutes!"

"You need to turn off your goddamned mouth!" Gray shouted back, reaching down to grab his phone. Natsu shouted something back, but Gray was too busy gaping at his lock screen to pay attention.

Juvia had messaged him twenty-seven times, the first one coming in at 4:39 AM. The earlier ones were politely concerned messages along the lines of:

" _Sorry again about last night. Juvia is just wondering if Gray-sama is okay._ "

The later one are frantic texts riddled spelling errors and written exclusively in capital letters. For example:

" _JUVIA WILL NEVRE SING AGAIN SHE PROMISES JUST TEXT HER BACK IF YOUR OK AND YOU DO NT HAT HER."_

Last night? Gray wondered what Juvia was even going on about this time. He tried playing the night before back in his head only to find that his memories were foggy and muddled. When he thought harder about it, brief sensations would flicker in his synapses. Azure hair, the smell of chlorine and home baked cookies, the feeling of skin…

Tongue. Teeth. Breath. Lips. Gray jolted up in bed because holyfuckingshit, he kissed Juvia. Gray pressed his face into his pillow as if attempting to smother himself and yelled muffled obscenities loud enough for the neighbors to hear.

"What's your deal?" Natsu hissed, struggling with his tie as he walked into Gray's room. "Even I'm not this loud in the morning."

"I think I kissed Juvia," Gray muttered, running his hands through his hair.

"HA," Natsu cackled. "You prolly did. You were practically try'na rub yourself all over her when she brought you home last night."

Gray pressed his face back into his pillow and groaned. This was the final straw in Gray's short, humiliating life. The only option left was death.

"I guess I have to kill myself now," Gray sighed dramatically, his face still planted so deep in the pillow that the only way he could press even further into it would be to fuse his very skin cells into its cotton thread count.

"Stop being such a pussy," Natsu needled. "You've been wanting to get all up in that since she beat the shit out of Meredy and got suspended for you."

"Have not."

"Have so."

"I'm serious!" Gray hissed, throwing his pillow at Natsu's face and getting out of bed. "I'm not into her like that. She literally had me hypnotized. My head still hurts from all of her siren mojo."

"She explained it all to me last night and said it was an accident," Natsu retorted unsympathetically. "Get over it. You're being a whiny lil' bitch. I should be the one whining about how you totally cockblocked me-"

"You cockblocked yourself," Gray griped. "And you're not the one who made a total ass of himself trying to get with a girl you're not even interested in."

"Come on," Natsu heckled. "You're definitely interested."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"You seemed pretty damned interested when you thought she was gonna date your cousin-"

"You're just as bad as Lucy," Gray griped, stomping over to his closet and yanking his uniform on. "Can we seriously not obsess over who's into who like a bunch of fucking girls?"

"Fine," Natsu huffed, flopping on Gray's bed and (poorly) re-tying his sneakers. "I just thought Lucy might forgive me if I get you and Juvia to bone."

"Is she that mad?" Gray smirked, already knowing the answer.

"God, yes. She wouldn't even let me kiss her goodnight."

"And that's a big deal because…?"

"Kissing her goodnight is the best part!" Natsu whined, punching a pillow.

"It didn't sound like you were this into her yesterday," Gray baited, throwing on his jacket and grabbing his bag. Natsu gave an aggravated groan of disgust that sounded like something a wounded, self-loathing animal would make.

"I fucked up. But she should know I didn't mean it like that! Seriously, I would lick every single part of Lucy's body if she'd let me."

"Gross," Gray growled, punching Natsu's arm. "Way too much information."

"It's true," Natsu insisted, punching Gray back and shoving him towards the front door. "Lucy Heartfilia is a total fucking babe, and I could probably pop a boner just looking at her elbows if I had the right visual."

"Too. Much. Information."

"It's just," Natsu went on obliviously, trailing after Gray as he went out the door. "She's hella smart, and I don't want her to figure out that I'm totally in love with her before I get the chance to tell her. I was just try'na… I don't know. Throw her off the scent a little?"

"You're an idiot."

"Yeah, I'm an idiot."

They walked like that for a bit. It had rained the night before, and Natsu kept jumping in the puddles and splashing water all over Gray's pants. After the fourth puddle, Gray was forced to wrestle Natsu to the ground. Needless to say, they got into a good natured fistfight. (It totally wasn't good natured.) So it didn't come as a surprise when they walked into class twenty minutes late and dripping with muddy rainwater.

"Seats," Wakaba commanded flatly.

"Yes, sir," Gray and Natsu replied in unison.

Gray looked as Natsu went to sit in his normal spot only to find that Lucy had Cana sitting beside her. Gray winced, feeling sympathy pain at the heated glare that Lucy gave Natsu. After a few moments, Gray ushered Natsu over to sit by him. Class resumed, and Gray gave a low whistle as Natsu slumped in his seat.

"Damn," Gray whispered. "She's pissed."

"I have eyes," Natsu hissed back. "It wasn't exactly hard to figure out."

"At least it's Friday," Gray said, attempting optimism. "She'll have the whole weekend to cool off."

"No," Natsu groaned. "She won't. That talent show is tomorrow. We all have to be there."

Shit.

"I know," Natsu moaned not noticing Gray grimace at accidentally speaking out loud. "This all sucks."

"Just tell her you love her and make up. Easy."

"I can't just say it outta nowhere. There has to be a mood."

"You're an idiot."

"Stop fucking saying that," Natsu hissed, elbowing Gray's side.

" _Then stop being a fucking idiot,_ " Gray yelled back. The entire class stopped what they were doing to stare at his outburst. Wakaba sighed and slid a tired palm down his face.

"Fullbuster. Dragneel. _Out_."

* * *

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Please follow and favorite, as always. But you know that it's really the reviews that make my world spin round. Make sure to follow me on Tumblr (storybookandfairytails, same as here). My email is the same gmail if you ever wanna hmu. I'd obsess a little more over my author's notes, but I'm really wanting to explore my campus before the magic show I'm going to tonight. (Yes, I'm going to a magic show.) Feel free to get in touch with me any time!**

 **XOXO, Mya**


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